The Prince

Born in 1492, Lorenzo Di Piero dé Medici was the ruler of Florence and the Duke of Urbino from 1516 until his death in 1519. His father was the Lord of Florence from 1492 until 1494, and his grandfather, known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, was the ruler of the Florentine Republic from 1469 until 1492. The Medici family was exiled in 1494, but it returned to power in 1512. In the years between the Medici family’s rule, Italy was occupied by foreign powers, which would have a profound impact on Machiavelli and his writing. Machiavelli dedicates The Prince to Lorenzo Di Piero dé Medici and urges him to unite Italy by strengthening its military and driving out foreign invaders. 

Francesco Sforza, born in 1401, was a highly-skilled Italian mercenary leader who rose to become the Duke of Milan in 1450. Sforza’s father, Muzio Sforza, was also a highly-skilled mercenary, and the two fought alongside each other for years, also renting their soldiers to Milan, Venice, and Florence. Following his father’s death, Francesco fought for Filippo Visconti, the Duke of Milan, and married his daughter, Bianca. When Visconti died in 1447, Francesco used his marriage and military prowess to seize control of the state and install himself as the Duke of Milan, which he held until his death in 1466. Machiavelli cites Sforza as a ruler of a new principality who obtained and held his state through his prowess rather than fortune. 

Born in 1475, Cesare Borgia was the illegitimate son of Pope Alexander XI. Following his father’s election as Pope, he was made a Cardinal at the age of 18. Five years later, he became the first person in history to resign the cardinalate, which he did in order to pursue a military career. Borgia was named Duke of Valentinois by Louis XII of France, for whom he served as condottieri and conquered the Romagna. Thanks to his skill and his father’s influence, he became prince of his own state, but he saw his power diminish with his father’s death and his own ill-health. Machiavelli cites Borgia many times throughout The Prince, frequently praising his skill as a ruler and recognizing the bad luck that led to his demise. 

Ferdinand married Queen Isabella I of Castile in 1469 and thus became King of Castile, serving in that capacity until 1504. He served as the King of Aragon from 1479 until his death in 1516, during which time he united Spain by driving the Moors out. He used the wealth of the church to sustain his armies and attack Africa, Italy, and France. Ferdinand is cited by Machiavelli as an example of a ruler who had an outstanding reputation because he constantly took on great enterprises and kept his people amazed and occupied. 

Alexander VI became Pope in 1492 and held the papacy until his death in 1503. Although he was a controversial figure because he acknowledged fathering several illegitimate children, his papacy was considered a transformational one for the church because of the expansion of its territorial power. Alexander was also notorious for the nepotism that he showed by installing his children in positions of power. Such nepotism was instrumental in the rise of his son, Cesare Borgia.

Born Giuliano della Rovere in 1443, the papacy of Julius II began in 1503 and ended with his death in 1513. He was a bitter rival to the Borgia family and Alexander VI, whom he succeeded as Pope. Known as the “Warrior Pope,” his papacy was marked by war and an enhancement of the temporal and spiritual power of the church. Machiavelli refers to Julius II most notably in relation to Cesare Borgia. Through treachery and deceit, Julius II tricked Cesare Borgia into supporting his papacy, only to betray him later.