Niccolò Machiavelli

Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (May 3, 1469 – June 21, 1527) was a Human diplomat, political philosopher, musician, poet, and playwright on Earth. He was a figure of the Italian Renaissance and a central figure of its political component, most widely known for his treatises on realist political theory (The Prince) on the one hand and republicanism (Discourses on Livy) on the other. These two written works—plus his History of Florence commissioned by the Medici family—were published posthumously in 1531.

Machiavellian refers most often to the political stance taken in The Prince.