Niccolo Machiavelli

Niccolo di Bernardo Machiavelli was an Italian historian, political thinker, diplomat, author and philosopher who lived from 1469 to 1527. He is regarded as the greatest political thinker in history. As a matter of fact, Machiavelli is often credited for laying the foundations of modern political theory and the word ‘Machiavellian’ is often used to describe an individual who might not be averse to using any means necessary in order to get to the end that he has envisioned. He was a government official in Florence and also served the Second Chancery of the Florentine Republic for 14 years, which laid the foundations of his political convictions. His political thoughts were assimilated in his most famous work titled ‘The Prince’ in which he laid down the ways in which the king is supposed to operate in warfare, politics and diplomacy. ‘The Prince’ remains a must read book to this day and is often regarded as the go to book for budding diplomats. In addition to that, Machiavelli was also a poet, historian and music composer during his rather eventful life. However, it was as a political thinker that he is most renowned. Many of his words have become popular quotes over time. The below collection of Niccolo Machiavelli’s most famous quotes have been excerpted from his writings, papers and thoughts. Here are some of the best quotes from Niccolo Machiavelli’s work and life that would certainly appeal to everyone.