In the world of politics there are few works that have marked history as much as The Prince. Written in 1513 by Nicolás Machiavelli, this political treatise began as a dedication to Lorenzo II de Medici, but influenced many other leaders such as Napoleon Bonaparte. Before delving into the book, let's talk a little about Machiavelli Machiavelli was born on May 3, 1469, at the height of the Italian Renaissance, in the Republic of Florence, home of many other historical figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and. Dante Alighieri. Machiavelli was born into a cultured and noble family but with few resources due to the debts of Bernardo Machiavelli, his father, a lawyer. There is little information about Machiavelli's childhood, but it is known that he was considered a great writer at his school. Machiavelli had a hot temper and a cold intelligence. He had a practical and almost cynical sense of life. If there is anything that defines Machiavelli, it is his admiration for great ideas and his lack of faith in man. In short, for Machiavelli the end is more important than the means. His political education was not only theoretical, but also practical. Machiavelli experienced, during his life, all the greatness and misery of the Republic of Florence. He was appointed secretary of the second chancellery and was sent to France shortly thereafter. Then, upon his return to Italy, he met César Borgia, who would become the archetypal prince of The Prince. Machiavelli believed that Cesare Borgia would be very important for the unification of Italy. After this meeting Machiavelli began an intense public activity. This allows him to broaden his vision of the political and social reality in Italy. At the fall of the Republic, in 1512,......middle of paper......died. Even the prince, according to Machiavelli, should not be too indulgent. Machiavelli talks, in the rest of the book, about the qualities a prince should have and what he should or should not do. In the remaining chapters there is not much more philosophical content, since they are already very specific. However, everything I have already mentioned in the previous chapters seems sufficient to me to understand Machiavellian thought, a thought that undoubtedly changed the world. Works Cited Echazú, Carlos. "Machiavelli's legacy." - Monografias.com. Np, August 2, 2006. Web, May 24, 2014. Gutierrez, Francisco. "Nicola Machiavelli." Ed. Enrique Congrains. Comp. Francisco Gutiérrez. Philosophers and thinkers. Bogotá: Forja, 1985. 81-92. Press. The Colossi of Humanity, Machiavelli, Nicolás. The prince. Bogota: Retina, 1986. Print. Immortal works.