This chapter explores Machiavelli’s fascination with the “new seas and unknown lands”, paralleling his exploration of political systems to geographical discoveries. In the Discourses, he draws a provocative comparison between his search for new political methods and the exploration of uncharted territories, suggesting that both endeavours face similar resistance due to envy and traditionalist opposition. This chapter also probes whether Machiavelli was influenced by early reports of the New World, particularly accounts of cannibalism, possibly shaping his view of social conflicts as intrinsic to human nature. Through references to explorers like Vespucci and Columbus, the text examines the symbolic role of cannibalism, not only as an exotic ritual but also as a metaphor for the voracious, destructive tendencies within civil conflicts. Machiavelli’s use of this anthropological framework hints at an understanding of power dynamics where societal bonds are constructed through conflict, mirroring the primal rituals of the newly discovered societies.