Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was an Italian diplomat, political philosopher, musician, poet, and playwright. Machiavelli was a figure of the Italian Renaissance, and a central figure of its political scene. In June of 1498, following the ouster and execution of Savonarola, the Great Council elected Machiavelli as the second chancellor of the Republic of Florence.

He is best known for his treatises on realist political theory on the one hand and republicanism on the other. These two written works, in addition to his History of Florence , were published posthumously in 1531.