Niccolo Machiavelli
Niccolo Machiavelli, (1469-1527). Italian writer and politician. By the age of 29 he held important government posts and travelled as a diplomat in Europe. When the Medicis came to power Machiavelli was suspected of conspiracy against them and imprisoned for a time, but later held office again. His best-known work The Prince (written 1513) puts forward his political ideal of a united Italy governed by a powerful ruler. In it he justifies acts of treachery and tyranny by the ruler as being necessary to maintain authority over the people. His other works include his Discourses (1519) on political history, a history of Florence, and a satirical comedy entitled Mandragola (1520).
