Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian diplomat and philosopher during the Renaissance, and a
senior official in the Florentine Republic. After being imprisoned, and then exiled from politics,
he wrote "The Prince" in 1513. While a keen commentator on political and military matters,
Machiavelli also wrote poetry and comedies which were popular in his lifetime, unlike his
political works. Still, his first love was ever and always politics.