Niccolò Machiavelli (1469 -1527).

Life of Machiavelli Born in Florence in an ancient and impoverished family We know little about his youth At 29 he was a candidate for a job as a secretary for the Signoria In 1498, when Savonarola was gone, he became secretary of the Chancellery, an important position as a sort of magistrate

1498-1512 was in charge of military organization transmission of orders news gathering letter- and report-writing diplomatic missions (he travelled to France, Germany, and numerous times acted as an ambassador to Valentino Borgia and the Pope).

Wrote Descrizione del modo tenuto dal duca Valentino nello ammazzare Vitellozzo Vitelli… (A Description of the methods adopted by the Duke Valentino when murdering Vitellozzo Vitelli, Oliverotto da Fermo, the Signor Pagolo, and the Duke di Gravina Orsini[) a political analysis of the situation written as a literary work Ritratto delle cose di Francia Ritratto delle cose della Magna. Economy: Parole da dirle sopra la provisione del danaio 1503, A discourse about the provision of money 

Military work: Del modo di trattare I popoli della Valdichiana ribellati 1503 On the method of dealing with the Rebellious Peoples of Valdichiana In 1506 Decennale primo, a short history Florence in verse he also starts the Decennale secondo, which focuses on the events that occurred between 1505 and 1509.

1512 Machiavelli is sent into exile in his country house at the Albergaccio 7 miles from Florence). writes the Discorsi sopra la prima deca di Tito Livio (1513- 1519), Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Lyvi The Prince (in a few months in 1513). Bitterness: Poem L’asino d’oro The Golden Donkey

Play: La mandragola, 1518. Between 1519 and 1520 he wrote Libri dell’arte della guerra. (The Art of War) 1520 he is back in Florence permanently Writes Life of Castruccio Castracani. Cardinal Giulio de Medici offered a stipend to write Historie fiorentine, a work that he finishes in 1525 when Giulio has become Clemente VII

1525 Clizia a play Spends last years of his life defending Florence against Charles V The Medici fall and there the Repubblic again he does not regain the post of secretary of the Ten.