Born in poverty, he will take supreme power. He will bankrupt

Nostradamus, the seer of Provence, cast his visions in dark and fiery tones: “Born in poverty, he will take supreme power. He will bankrupt the country. Raising an army in the Milanese marches, he will drain Faenza and Florence of gold and people.” In this prophecy, the eternal struggle between humble origins and corrupted ambition is laid bare. From the ashes of want arises the grasping hand for supreme power, and with it come ruin, desolation, and the plundering of nations.

The meaning of this oracle is as much moral as mystical. Poverty may shape the soul in humility and wisdom, but when twinned with unbridled ambition, it can breed vengeance against the world. Nostradamus warns that greatness without virtue is perilous: a man may rise from lowly birth to command armies and kingdoms, yet if he governs with greed and vanity, he will bankrupt the country, draining it not only of treasure but of spirit. True strength lies not in seizing gold, but in guarding justice.

History offers bitter reflections of this truth. Consider the figure of Napoleon Bonaparte, born on the rugged island of Corsica, far from the riches of Paris. Rising from obscurity, he seized supreme power, crowned himself emperor, and raised mighty armies. His campaigns ravaged Italy, drained cities of wealth, and left a trail of blood across Europe. Though brilliant in war, his hunger for dominion bankrupted nations and consumed the lives of countless men. His story reads like the very fulfillment of the prophet’s words.

Yet Nostradamus also speaks symbolically. The Milanese marches, the plunder of Faenza and Florence, are more than places—they represent the fertile lands and flourishing cities devoured by the ambitions of conquerors. Whenever a leader exalts himself above the people, wealth is drained from the many to feed the few. The prophecy is thus not only a foretelling of one man, but a warning to all ages: beware the leader who confuses might with wisdom, conquest with justice.

Therefore, let the seeker of truth take heed. Poverty is no curse if it teaches humility, but it becomes a curse when it ignites only hunger for domination. Let the rise to supreme power be tempered by wisdom, else it will end in ashes. For the sword that conquers Milan, Faenza, and Florence may win kingdoms, but it will lose the soul of the nation. Nostradamus’s vision, though cloaked in mystery, shines as timeless counsel: that greatness without virtue drains both gold and people, while true power is found only in justice and restraint.