Machiavelli, Niccolo

Machiavelli, Niccolo, 1469-1527, Italian political philosopher and statesman. As defense secretary of the Florentine republic he substituted a citizens' militia for the mercenary system. Through diplomatic missions he became acquainted with power politics, meeting such leaders as Cesare BORGIA. When the MEDICI family returned to power (1512) he was dismissed, and briefly imprisoned and tortured. He then retired to his country estate, where he wrote on politics. His most famous work, The Prince (1532), describes the means by which a leader may gain and maintain power. His "ideal" prince is an amoral and calculating tyrant capable of unifying Italy. Despite the ruthless connotation of the term Machiavellian, such works as the Discourses (1531) and the History of Florence (1532) express republican principles. Machiavelli also wrote poems and plays, notably the comedy Mandragola (1524).

From the Concise Columbia Encyclopedia. Copyright © 1991 by Columbia University Press.

Works on ILTweb

Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Translated by W. K. Marriott. [cite].