Sovereign

The work "The Prince" is considered a small masterpiece of Machiavelli, a kind of guide for state builders, entangled in a multitude of legends and filled with quotes falsely attributed to great rulers. But without a doubt, this manifesto on government and state structure is a kind of watershed between medieval and modern political thought. It was written during the most turbulent times in Italian history, when huge states stood up for rich but weak regional autonomies, trying to seize them.

In the treatise, Niccolò Machiavelli summarizes his achievements during his 15-year tenure as Secretary of State of Florence. So, from his own experience, he outlines the features and virtues of an ideal ruler, analyzes the causes of human actions, for the first time separating politics from morality. The book "The Prince" was banned in France in 1599, accusing the author of spreading ideas of political corruption.