The Prince is a political treatise by Niccolò Machiavelli, written in 1513 and published in 1532, after his death. In twenty-six chapters, the former secretary of the Florentine Republic explains how a ruler can gain and keep power. Its realism shocked readers and gave the English language the word Machiavellian.
A handbook of power
Machiavelli distinguishes different kinds of principalities and the ways they are won: by arms, by fortune, by crime or by the favour of the people.
He advises the prince to rely on his own troops rather than mercenaries, and to adapt to circumstances.
Virtue and fortune
Virtù, for Machiavelli, means the energy and skill of a leader; fortuna is the chance of events. A good prince knows how to seize the moment.
He describes people as they are, not as they ought to be, which is what made the book both new and scandalous.
A book of exile
Removed from office after the return of the Medici to Florence in 1512, Machiavelli wrote The Prince at his farm near San Casciano.
He dedicated it to Lorenzo de' Medici, hoping to regain employment. The last chapter calls for Italy to be freed from foreign armies.
Anecdotes
A famous letter
In a letter of December 1513 to his friend Francesco Vettori, Machiavelli described spending his evenings in conversation with the ancients through their books, and announced his little work on principalities.
Cesare Borgia
Machiavelli had met Cesare Borgia on diplomatic missions, and presents him in The Prince as a skilful leader betrayed by fortune.
Frequently asked questions
When was The Prince written?
In 1513.
When was it published?
In 1532.
To whom is it dedicated?
To Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino.