How is Machiavelli connected to the Medici family?

Summary. The Medici played a central role in Machiavelli’s life and works. Until 1494 he lived in a city dominated by them, and from 1498 to 1512 he was employed by a government to which they represented a threat and an alternative focus of allegiance for discontented Florentines.

Did Niccolo Machiavelli travel with the Medici family?

Niccolò Machiavelli was a diplomat for 14 years in Italy’s Florentine Republic during the Medici family’s exile.

Which Medici did Machiavelli serve?

Lorenzo de Medici
Although Florence was supposed to be a republic, ruled by its leading citizens rather than by lords or princes, during Machiavelli’s youth, Florence was effectively controlled by the powerful Medici family, with Lorenzo de Medici, called “the Magnificent,” at its head.

Why did the Medici family exile Machiavelli?

He was accused of conspiracy, imprisoned, tortured and temporarily exiled. It was an attempt to regain a political post and the Medici family’s good favor that Machiavelli penned The Prince, which was to become his most well-known work.

Did the Medici family read The Prince?

Insofar as “The Prince” was intended as a means to an end, however, it was a failure: there is no evidence that Giuliano de’ Medici ever read it, and the Florentine successor to whom Machiavelli eventually dedicated the book, Giuliano’s despotic nephew Lorenzo, was said to have preferred the gift of a pair of hounds.

What is the book The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli about?

The Prince, political treatise by Niccolò Machiavelli, written in 1513. A short treatise on how to acquire power, create a state, and keep it, The Prince represents Machiavelli’s effort to provide a guide for political action based on the lessons of history and his own experience as a foreign secretary in Florence.

What was Niccolo Machiavelli known for?

Niccolò Machiavelli was an Italian Renaissance political philosopher and statesman and secretary of the Florentine republic. His most famous work, The Prince (1532), brought him a reputation as an atheist and an immoral cynic.

What did Niccolo Machiavelli parents do for a living?

His parents, Bernardo and Bartolomea, had three other children, two daughters and a son. Bernardo was a lawyer and small landowner with a small salary. Machiavelli’s education started at age seven. Some accounts say that Machiavelli spent the years from 1487 to 1495 working for a Florentine banker.

Was Niccolo Machiavelli religious?

What did Lorenzo de Medici think of the Prince?

Along with the rest of his family, Lorenzo de’ Medici ignored “The Prince.” Machiavelli remained out of a job for most the rest of his life.

How did the Medici family impact the Renaissance?

The Medici family ruled the city of Florence throughout the Renaissance. They had a major influence on the growth of the Italian Renaissance through their patronage of the arts and humanism. The Medici family were wool merchants and bankers. Both businesses were very profitable and the family became extremely wealthy.

Was Niccolò close to the Medici family?

Apart from the friendship of his father, Bernardo, with the Medici chancellor Bartolomeo Scala, the best evidence for Niccolò’s links to the Medici is the poem he addressed to Giuliano, son of the elder Lorenzo.

What was Machiavelli’s family values?

A love of books was a family value that Machiavelli shared. His writings prove that he tirelessly read the classics.

Why did the government place a bounty on the heads of Medici?

The government placed a bounty on the heads of the Medici cousins. When the Medici marched towards Florence on behalf of Pope Julius II, it was Machiavelli who was entrusted with the city’s defenses. Despite his efforts, Machiavelli’s troops were no match for the papal militia.

What was Machiavelli’s political philosophy?

Machiavelli had a passion for ancient history. He had a fierce desire to rebuild the government with a stronger political and moral foundation, similar to that of the Roman Republic (107–101 B.C.E. ).