Niccolò Machiavelli

Lore & Background

Niccolò Machiavelli was born in Florence, the third child and first son of attorney Bernardo di Niccolò Machiavelli and Bartolomea di Stefano Nelli. His father was born illegitimately and could not become a full citizen, which affected Niccolò's own citizenship rights. Machiavelli was eight years old when the Pazzi conspiracy attempted to assassinate Lorenzo and Giuliano de' Medici; he witnessed the resulting violence. He listened to the sermons of Girolamo Savonarola but was not swayed by them. He was taught grammar, rhetoric, and Latin by Paolo da Ronciglione. In 1494 Florence restored the republic, expelling the Medici family. Shortly after Savonarola's execution, Machiavelli was appointed to an office of the second chancery and later secretary of the Dieci di Libertà e Pace. He married Marietta Corsini in 1501 and had seven children. His diplomatic missions included visits to the courts of Iacopo di Appiano, Caterina Sforza, and King Louis XII of France. He witnessed Cesare Borgia's retribution against rebellious commanders in Sinigaglia in 1502 and documented it in The Description. He was sent to Rome to observe the papal conclave that selected Julius II. He served as a senior official in the Florentine Republic from 1498 to 1512, when the Medici were out of power. After the Medici retook power in 1512, he was expelled from his duties, mistakenly suspected of treason, and sent into exile. A year later, he took up the life of a political writer.

Reader's Guide

Machiavelli's significance rests primarily on his political treatise The Prince, written around 1513 and published posthumously in 1532. In it, he advised rulers to engage in evil when political necessity requires it, stating that successful founders and reformers of governments should be excused for killing their political enemies. This contradicted classical political thought and led to his name evoking unscrupulous acts. The Prince has been surrounded by controversy, with many commentators viewing it as a manual for would-be tyrants. Scholars such as Leo Strauss have restated the traditional opinion that Machiavelli was a 'teacher of evil.' However, scholars also give attention to his other works, such as The Discourses on Livy (composed c. 1517), which has been said to have paved the way for modern republicanism. His works were a major influence on later Enlightenment-era political authors, including Jean-Jacques Rousseau and James Harrington. Machiavelli's philosophical contributions have influenced generations of philosophers, academics, and politicians, with many debating the nature of his ideas.

Did You Know?

• Machiavelli was appointed to the second chancery at age 29 with no experience in law or public office.
• He witnessed Cesare Borgia's brutal retribution against rebellious commanders in Sinigaglia on 31 December 1502.
• His father Bernardo was born illegitimately, preventing Niccolò from obtaining full Florentine citizenship.
• Machiavelli's The Prince was not published until 1532, five years after his death.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"In judging policies we should consider the results that have been achieved through them rather than the means by which they have been executed." — Niccolò Machiavelli "Men never do good unless necessity drives them to it; but when they are free to choose and can do just as they please, confusion and disorder become rampant." — Niccolò Machiavelli "So in all human affairs one notices, if one examines them closely, that it is impossible to remove one inconvenience without another emerging." — Niccolò Machiavelli "It is enough to ask somebody for his weapons without saying 'I want to kill you with them', because when you have his weapons in hand, you can satisfy your desire." — Niccolò Machiavelli