Machivavelli+-+Biography

 What do we know about Machiavelli?

STAPLES (a quick way to organize biographical information) S - SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - What are his contributions in these fields, or what/ who in these fields influenced him? T - THOUGHTS, IDEAS, RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY, LITERATURE - What are his contributions in these fields, or what/ who in these fields influenced him?
 * Literature: //The Prince, Discourses on Livy// (jh 8/9)
 * Religion: Machiavelli was accused of heresy and sent to prison where he was tortured. (ro 8/19)
 * ideas: he belied that a hereditary principalities are easier to govern because tradition provides a basis. (ry 8/20)

A - ART, MUSIC, ARCHITECTURE - What are his contributions in these fields, or what/ who in these fields influenced him? P - POLITICS & PERSONALITIES - What are his contributions in these fields, or what/ who in these fields influenced him? L - LAW & GOVERNMENT - What are his contributions in these fields, or what/ who in these fields influenced him? E - ECONOMICS - What are his contributions in these fields, or what/ who in these fields influenced him? S - SOCIAL HISTORY - His personal biographical information
 * Government: secretary of the Florentine government (jh 8/9)
 * government: war is never avoided but just postponed, so it is better to have war earlier than later (ry 8/20)
 * government: if a prince conquers a republic, the best thing to do is to destroy it and make himself the sole ruler (ry 8/21)
 * Stinginess. Machiavelli believed that it is better to be greedy then to be generous. He stated that if you need to be generous, then do it in secret because you do not want to be giving your government all your money. (ro 8/19)
 * Machiavelli negotiated a loan for Florence with Catherine Sforza. (ro 8/19)
 * Machiavelli wrote //The Prince// after being released from prison. (ro 8/19)