Nicoli Machiavelli
Nicolo Machiavelli, born May 3, 1469 in Florence, Italy to a jurist (Kagan 96) is considered by some the greatest political philosopher. Machiavelli, born in Italy at a time when the country was in a political upheaval was destined to play a major part in the country‘s political scheme. This upheaval, was primarily based on the fact that Italy was divided into four city-states that were constantly at the mercy of the more established and stronger European governments (Nicolo Machiavelli 1). ... Machiavelli first made a name for himself during this movement, becoming an “important diplomat” (Hale 14). However, in 1512 the Medici family regained control of Italy and as punishment for treason, Machiavelli was tortured and exiled from public life (Kagan 97). It was during these ten years of banishment from political life that Machiavelli sat in his study while living in “squalor,” and thought of the great Roman figures that had lived before him. Machiavelli learned how they had coped with the crisis they had faced and applied the solutions they used to his own crisis. In 1513, Machiavelli wrote The Prince, his most influential novel. It is clear that Nicolo Machiavelli was a catalyst for new governmental ideas and thus epitomized modern political philosophies. Confined to the family estate in 1513, Machiavelli wrote a short “treatise” on the art of government (Hale 148). Nicolo Machiavelli’s most recognized book The Prince is the foundation for the thought that Machiavelli is a political philosopher.