Prince, The

Political treatise by the Italian historian and political thinker Machiavelli, published in 1532. The Prince was long controversial because it described the reality of political power rather than an ethical ideal. It coldly and clearly set out what is necessary for the successful seizure and exercise of power, and does so without reference to morality or religion. Based on his own experience rather than political theories, it reflects the realities of power in renaissance Italy.

It was originally written in 1513 and dedicated to Giuliano de' Medici, but was revised in 1516 and dedicated to Giuliano's nephew Lorenzo before he became duke of Urbino. Machiavelli's ideas had developed during his active career (1498-1512) in the Florentine republic, when he had become familiar with all manner of political problems and conflicts and had, as a member of important missions, directly dealt with such powerful figures as Cesare Borgia.

The secular point of view and the morally ambiguous tone arising from Machiavelli's procedure of presenting his firmly held opinions in a purely descriptive guise were largely responsible for the work's unjustified reputation in the later 16th century as an epitome of atheism and wickedness. Although it was not translated into English until 1640, the work and its author were frequently alluded to in Elizabethan writings.