Niccolo Machiavelli Biography

Italian political thinker and historical figure in the turning point from Middle Ages to Modern World. Machiavelli stated in The Price, the then revolutionary and prophetic idea, that theological and moral imperatives have no place in the political arena. With Hobbes (1588-1679) Macciavelli is considered one of the great early modern analyzers of political power.

Niccoló Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy. Little is known of his early life, although once he described his background: "I was born in poverty and at an early age learned how to endure hardship rather than flourish." Niccolò's father, Bernardo di Niccolò di Buoninsegna, belonged to an impoverished branch of an influential old Florentine family. Bernardo was a lawyer and he had a small personal library that included books by Greek and Roman philosophers and volumes of Italian history. Bernardo died in 1500, Machiavelli's mother, Bartolomea de' Nelli, had died in 1496.

Machiavelli he might have been involved in overthrowing the Savonarolist government in 1498 - Girolamo Savonarola was executed just outside his office. Machiavelli was appointed head of the new government's Second Chancery, and secretary of an agency concerned with warfare and diplomacy (1498-1512). During there years he traveled on several missions in Europe for the Republic of Florence visiting Cesare Borgia (1502), Rome (1503, 1506), France (1504) and Germany (1507-08). Among his achievement was helping to set up a standing army, which reconquered Pisa in 1509.

As a thinker Machiavelli belonged to an entire school of Florentine intellectuals concerned with an examination of political and historical problems. His important writing, however, were composed after 1512 when he was accused of of conspiracy in 1513. Medici family had returned to power and had ended a year before the Florentine Republic. Lorenzo de' Medici fired Machiavelli, the Secretary to the Second Chancery of the Signoria. He was suspected of plotting against the Medici, jailed, even tortured, and exiled to Sant'Andrea in Percussina. Macciavelli found himself out of job after 14 years of patriotic service, and spent on a small estate most of his remaining years produced his major writings. He achieved some fame as a historian and playwright, but with The Prince he hoped to regain political favor. It tells how to gain, maintain, and centralize power.

In 1519 Machiavelli partly reconciled with the Medici and he was given various duties, including writing a history of Florence. When the Medici was deposed in 1527 Machiavelli hoped for a new government post. However, now he was distrusted by the republican government for previous association with the Medici.

Machiavelli died in Florence on June 21, 1527. Just a few weeks before his death, Rome fell to the poorly armed Spanish infantry. Machiavelli had foretold how such tragedy could be avoided but no one had listened to him.

Machiavelli's political writings became more widely known in the second half of the 16th century. When Considered dangerous, they were placed in 1564 on the Church Index of officially banned books. Othello's ensign Iago from the famous play of Shakespeare was partly based on the common misconception of Machiavelli as a cynical fedender of fraud in statecraft. Machiavelli admired Cesare Borgia (1476-1507), an able ruler, who was ruthless and trecherous in war but a patron of artists, including Leonardo da Vinci.

Machiavelli's best known works are DISCORSI SOPRA LA PRIMA DECA DI TITO LIVIO (1531) and IL PRINCIPE (1532), whose the main theme is that all means may be used in order to maintain authority, and that the worst acts of the ruler are justified by the treachery of the government. Many of Machiavelli's thoughts, as "it is much more secure to be feared, than to be loved" have lived centuries as slogans. And his notion "All armed prophets have conquered and unarmed one failed" could be approved by contemporary fanatical religious leaders. Il Principe was condemned by the pope, but its viewpoints gave rise to the well-known adjective machiavellian, synonym for political maneuvers marked by cunning, duplicity, or bad faith. Machiavelli draws upon examples from both ancient and more recent history and also uses his own insights he gained during his observation of the Italian city-states and France. What distinguishes Machiavelli's manual from other such works, is the originality and practicality of his thinking. Neither the attempts to interpret Machiavelli's ideas as first steps to democratic thoughts or examples of evil reflect a balanced view of his writing.