The Prince (Italian: Il Principe) is a political treatise by the Italian diplomat, historian and political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli. From correspondence a version appears to have been distributed in 1513, using a Latin title, De Principatibus (About Principalities). But the printed version was not published until 1532, five years after Machiavelli's death. This was done with the permission of the Medici pope Clement VII, but "long before then, in fact since the first appearance of the Prince in manuscript, controversy had swirled about his writings". Although it was written as if it were a traditional work in the Mirror of Princes style, it is generally agreed that it was especially innovative. This is only partly because it was written in the Vernacular (Italian) rather than Latin, a practice which had become increasingly popular since the publication of Dante's Divine Comedy and other works of Renaissance literature.
- ISBN10 1470946610
- ISBN13 9781470946616
- Publish Date 7 November 2011
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Lulu.com
- Format eBook (OEB)
- Language English