An outstanding Florentine thinker of the 15th-16th centuries, philosopher, writer, politician, civil servant, author of the popular military-political book "The Emperor" (originally De Principatibus) - Niccolo Machiavelli.
Biography and career
Niccolo Machiavelli was born on May 3, 1469 in the village of San Casciano in Val di Pesa, near Florence. The Machiavelli family was quite noble and famous in Tuscany.
The boy's family did not differ in wealth and consisted of a lawyer father, a housewife mother, two older sisters and a younger brother. The boy's education allowed him to independently study Latin and Italian classics. From an early age he studied the works of Cicero, Macrobius, Flavius. He was also interested in the ancient Greek works of Plutarch, Thucydides and Polybius, but in a Latin translation.
From an early age, the young man was interested in politics, which he wrote about in his letters to Cardinal Giovanni Lopez in 1497 and to his friend Ricardo Becca (Florentine ambassador to Rome) in 1498. Niccolo Machiavelli does not support the policy of the ruling monarch Girolamo Savonarola, but with his support he becomes secretary and ambassador. After the execution of the ruler, thanks to the recommendations of his teacher, Prime Secretary Marcello Adriani, Machiavelli came to power in the Council of Eight, where he was responsible for diplomatic negotiations with military affairs and the Commission of Ten, where he represented Florence in armed conflicts.
The biography of the thinker took shape during the Renaissance, when the rich cities of Italy were subject to capture by France, Spain and Rome. The constant change of power, the prompt construction of a new state and its fall again, short-lived alliances, collusion and betrayal - these are the general characteristics of that time.
Machiavelli tried more than once to introduce diplomatic missions to the court of Louis XII, Ferdinand II, and the Papal court in Rome.
Since 1502, Machiavelli began to look closely at the methods and methods of building the state of Cesare Borgia, a politician whose views admired the thinker. Borgia was distinguished by the cruelty and firmness of his decisions. These ideas are found in the treatise "The Emperor".
In 1503, after the new Pope Julius II came to power, he was recognized by history as the most belligerent pope. This fact contributed to the creation of a letter by Machiavelli with an attempt to predict the policy of the new pope. At the same time, plans appeared to create a popular militia of Florence in order to replace the city guards, in which Machiavelli saw traitors.
In 1503-1506, Machiavelli was in charge of the Florentine guard, overseeing the defense of the city. The guard consisted exclusively of citizens. Machiavelli did not trust mercenaries.
After Pope Julius II drove the French troops out of Italy, he entrusted the administration of Florence to his supporter, Cardinal Giovanni Medici. With the arrival of a new ruler, the Republic formed by that time was abolished. After another change of power, because of his categorical statements about the new ruler, Machiavelli was accused of conspiracy against the Medici and arrested. Some time later, the famous thinker was released. He returned to his estate and switched his creativity to the creation of historical treatises.
In 1520, Machiavelli received the post of historiographer. At this time, his work "The History of Florence" and several plays that enjoyed great success appeared. Sometimes the thinker carried out certain diplomatic assignments of the pontiff. One of these orders was the request of Francesco Guicciardini (on behalf of the Pope) to check the walls of Florence for their strengthening and preparation for a possible siege. It was the strengthening of the walls of Florence that led Machiavelli to the post of secretary of the College of Five, created in 1526. However, already in 1527, after the final ruin of Rome and the restoration of the republican regime in Florence, all of Machiavelli's hopes of continuing his career in the Council of Ten were dashed. Moreover, the new government did not notice the great thinker, which led to psychological pressure on the politician and undermining his health. Death overtook Machiavelli on June 22, 1527. Where exactly the famous philosopher is buried is not known. A cenotaph in his honor is located in the Church of Santa Croce (Florence).
Creation
All of Niccolo Machiavelli's works represent a unique contribution to sociology and political science. They are based only on personal experience and observations of the thinker. His contribution to history is invaluable.
The most famous work of Machiavelli was the treatise "The Sovereign". This is a small book that brought immortality to the great thinker. The book is regularly reprinted and is in demand at the box office. It clearly formulates the idea of cruelty, strength and cold calculation of the ruler, without taking into account his moral principles and ethics. The book was able to be widely published "in the light" only after the death of its author. Thanks to her, some of the readers saw in Machiavelli a formidable, unprincipled tyrant, and some perceived politics as a democratic and “correct” ruler.
The second popular work of the thinker was the treatise "On the Art of War", where the author puts forward the idea of the obligation of every self-respecting man to carry out military service.
In addition to political treatises, among the works of the famous philosopher there are comedies (La Mandragola, Clizia), and lyric works (Decennale primo, Asino d'oro), and novels (Belfagor arcidiavolo).
Personal life
By the age of 32, Niccolo held a high position in society and achieved a certain financial independence. Due to his status and his capabilities, Machiavelli was able to marry a girl from a family with a higher position in society. Mariette di Luigi Corsini became the chosen one of Machiavelli. She became Niccolo's wife in 1501. Their marriage became a union that united two families on mutually beneficial terms: Machiavelli was promoted up the social ladder, and Corsini got access to the thinker's administrative resource and political connections. The wife gave birth to her husband five children. However, this did not stop Machiavelli from having connections with other women.
