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Niccolo Machiavelli, the first great Italian historian, and one of the most eminent political writers of any age or country, was born at Florence, May 3, 1469. He was of an old though not wealthy Tuscan family, his father, who was a jurist, dying when Niccolo was sixteen years old. We know nothing of Machiavelli's youth and little about his studies. He does not seem to have received the usual humanistic education of his time, as he knew no Greek. The first notice of Machiavelli is in 1498 when we find him holding the office of Secretary in the second Chancery of the Signoria, which office he…mehr

Produktbeschreibung
Niccolo Machiavelli, the first great Italian historian, and one of the most eminent political writers of any age or country, was born at Florence, May 3, 1469. He was of an old though not wealthy Tuscan family, his father, who was a jurist, dying when Niccolo was sixteen years old. We know nothing of Machiavelli's youth and little about his studies. He does not seem to have received the usual humanistic education of his time, as he knew no Greek. The first notice of Machiavelli is in 1498 when we find him holding the office of Secretary in the second Chancery of the Signoria, which office he retained till the downfall of the Florentine Republic in 1512. His unusual ability was soon recognized, and in 1500 he was sent on a mission to Louis XII. of France, and afterward on an embassy to Cæsar Borgia, the lord of Romagna, at Urbino. Machiavelli's report and description of this and subsequent embassies to this prince, shows his undisguised admiration for the courage and cunning of Cæsar, who was a master in the application of the principles afterwards exposed in such a skillful and uncompromising manner by Machiavelli in his Prince.
Autorenporträt
Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527), an iconic figure of the Italian Renaissance, is renowned for his contributions to political theory and historical scholarship. Born in Florence, his life spanned a tumultuous period in Italian politics, an era that profoundly influenced his intellectual oeuvre. Machiavelli's early exposure to Florentine republicanism and subsequent diplomatic career provided him with a wealth of experience that would inform his later writings. His seminal work, 'The Prince', often overshadows his other contributions to literature and history; however, his 'History of Florence and of the Affairs of Italy' stands as a significant historical treatise that chronicles the intricate web of power dynamics in Italy beginning in ancient times until his contemporaries. This expansive work not only illuminates the political landscape of Italy but also showcases Machiavelli's analytical prowess and narrative skill. Rooted in a humanist approach to historiography, Machiavelli's history writing eschews divine causality in favour of a more pragmatic examination of human actions and motivations, becoming a precursor to modern historical methodology. His distinct literary style - characteristically lucid and direct - allows for the intricate politics of the era to be accessible to a broad readership, reflecting his democratic ethos in knowledge dissemination. As a historian and political thinker, Machiavelli's influence has stretched far beyond his lifetime, marking him as one of the foundational figures in Western political thought and historiography.