reply to her children's captors that she could create more, and thus they were of no consequence to her. When it comes to historical facts, we have a few accounts mentioning the event shortly after it occurred. None of which mention any skirt incident and instead talk about the true wisdom and political astuteness of Caterina reverting a losing situation into one where she was back in control. In all accounts she responds to the threats against her children with words and not actions. She mentions how her eldest son is somewhere safe and that she is at that moment pregnant. The pregnancy is believed to have been a rouse but with the conspirators not having reinforcements, Caterina's on her way, and the bargaining chip that were her kids effectively rendered mute in addition to her threats of vengeance for the murder of her husband, they had no choice but to retreat. Caterina would later on exact her vengeance on all involved parties. Going back to Machiavelli, according to Julia L. Hairston in her journal article Skirting the issue: Machiavelli's Caterina Sforza, his addition of the skirt situation seems to have been for dramatic appeal, to defeminize her by recounting an atypical behavior of a woman and a mother, and also to separate this action as a response towards the threat to her children and attribute it to a sentiment of indifference. Elizabeth Lev wrote on the matter in her biography of Caterina Sforza, The Tigress of Forli. Lev took the position that Machiavelli's account on the matter, being quite vulgar, may in fact have been more a reflection of his own dislike of Caterina. Indeed, Machiavelli had met the countess as a young diplomat and had not fared well. See also House of Sforza Notes References Bibliography Demi, Cinzia: Caterina Sforza, Fara, 2010. Machiavelli: The Discourses, English translation by Fr Leslie J. Walker, S.J. (1929). The countess is featured in Bk III, Ch 6 in relating examples of dangers that can arise subsequent to a successful conspiracy. Marchi, Cesare: Giovanni delle Bande Nere, Milano, 1981. Lev, Elizabeth: The Tigress of Forli: Renaissance Italy's Most Courageous And Notorious Countess, Caterina Riario Sforza De' Medici. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011. . Perria, Antonio: I terribili Sforza. Trionfo e fine di una grande dinastia, Milano, Sugar Co Edizioni Srl, 1981. Verrier, Frédérique: Caterina Sforza et Machiavel ou l'origine du monde, Vecchiarelli, 2010.