Most notable among the Greek philosophers who inspired Machiavelli was Plato. In particular, Machiavelli took interest in Plato's concept of just rulers who ruled by moral virtue. ... The ruler, therefore, is justified in doing whatever is necessary to maintain the country, even if it is unjust. On the other hand, Plato argues a ruler can never be unjust. ... Virtu is characterized by its flexibility because the ruler is given the prerogative to mold it in consonance to a given situation whereas "virtue" is more rigid, as Plato would required the just ruler to behave the same all the...

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