Niccolò Machiavelli

Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) was a Renaissance diplomat, philosopher, and writer. He had formal training in grammar, rhetoric, and Latin and held different administrative posts in Florence while the city was a republic (as opposed to a papacy or various monarchies). He led the citizen-militia in Florence and had success in seizing Pisa in 1509. Today, he is most known for authoring the political philosophy classic “The Prince.”