<P> The Prince ( Italian : Il Principe ( il ˈprintʃipe ) ) is a 16th - century political treatise by the Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli . From correspondence a version appears to have been distributed in 1513 , using a Latin title , De Principatibus ( About Principalities ) . However , 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 '' . </P>
<P> The Prince ( Italian : Il Principe ( il ˈprintʃipe ) ) is a 16th - century political treatise by the Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli . From correspondence a version appears to have been distributed in 1513 , using a Latin title , De Principatibus ( About Principalities ) . However , 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 '' . </P>
who wrote the prince a guide on how to gain and maintain power
who wrote the prince a guide on how to gain and maintain power
Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli
Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli