Niccolò Machiavelli was born in Florence. Throughout his life, he was a diplomat, politician, historian, and writer. Machiavelli served the Florentine republic as secretary and second chancellor from 1498 to 1512 while the Medici family was out of power. His most famous work, The Prince, was a written attempt to re-ingratiate himself with the Medicis when they returned to power.

Christopher S. Celenza is the author or editor of seven books and more than forty scholarly articles or book chapters in the fields of Italian Renaissance history, post-classical Latin literature, and philosophy. His most recent book, Machiavelli: A Portrait, was published by Harvard University Press in 2015.