The Prince

Historical Context

The Prince was written in 1513, a time when Italy was in a prolonged state of political upheaval and instability. Charles VIII of France invaded Italy at the end of the 15th century and a long period of almost continuous domination by foreign powers began, For centuries, Italy served as a battleground between France and Spain and was not an independent state. One result of the French invasion was the expulsion of the Medici, the republic of Florence’s rulers. Florence was weakened by dissenting political factions until their return in 1512.

During this period, Machiavelli worked in government service as a diplomat. Upon their return to power in 1512, he was dismissed from public service and banished from Florence. When a plot to overthrow the Medici was discovered and foiled in 1513, Machiavelli was thrown in prison and tortured, but was eventually released after he paid a fine. It was at this time that Machiavelli wrote The Prince, after being deprived of his office, thrown into prison for a crime he did not commit, and exiled from Florence. Obviously the bitter tone of his writings was in some part attributable to the misfortunes of his life and the turbulent political state in his homeland. His conclusions about the attributes required to rule successfully were drawn from observing first-hand the struggle and political intrigue taking place between France, Spain, and the ruling powers in Italy at that time and rose from his desire to see a stable, unified, powerful ruling class in Italy.