Machiavelli's "The Prince".

Machiavelli's, The Prince, is a straightforward, no-nonsense book on the application of power during the sixteenth century (Teuber Par. 1 Intro). Published in 1513, it was an attempt Machiavelli made to hastily re-enter politics (Machiavelli Pg. 3).

Machiavelli was born May 3, 1469, in Florence, to a well-known middle-class family. Not a lot is known about his early life, but it is known that as a young man he learned Latin and that he much enjoyed reading ancient classics. His family members, had, by tradition, filled dependable positions in local government, and in 1498 Machiavelli's first involvement in politics was with the unstable Florentine. He helped unseat the dominant political and religious figure in Florence, Girolamo Savonarola (Teuber Par. 1 Bio.)

The same year, he was appointed as chancellor and secretary to the Ten of Liberty and Peace of the republic. Machiavelli had a chance to participate in both diplomatic missions to foreign governments and in domestic politics.

Famous posthumous portrait of Niccolò Machiavelli...

English: Tomb of Niccolò Machiavelli in the Basil...

Santi di Tito’s famous portrait of Niccolò Mach...

Over the next fourteen years, he was able to closely scrutinize the internal workings of government and to convene with prominent individuals. Among them, he met Cesare Borgia, who had a major profile in leadership for The Prince. By 1502, he had rapidly gained a political reputation and was a respected assistant to the republican head of state, Piero Soderini (Teuber Par. 1 Bio).

In 1512, having been exiled since 1494, the Medici family seized the opportunity to replace and overthrow Soderini and the republican government with their own autocratic regime. Machiavelli was finally banished to his home in Percussina, after being removed from office, imprisoned, and tortured for his distinguished republican opinions. Around 1518, he changed his writing style to drama in La mandragola, which firmly established the human nature given to self-centeredness. The play was popular in much of...