Machiavelli

Life

Machiavelli was born and raised in a tumultuous era. Machiavelli was eight years old when a conspiracy by the Pazzi family was hatched which aimed to assassinate both Lorenzo and Giuliano de' Medici, the then de-facto rulers of Florence, in a church. Only Giuliano was killed, and the leaders of the conspiracy were arrested and hanged. Machiavelli witnessed the resulting violence of the failed plot. As a young man he would listen, but not be swayed by, the lengthy sermons of Girolamo Savonarola. Machiavelli stated that Savonarola colored his "untruths" according to the situation. Machiavelli's civil service would begin shortly after Savonarola was burned at the stake for heresy.