Imprisoned, tortured, and forced into exile, he fought to clear his name. Instead it would be misunderstood forever. Born into a modest family in fifteenth-century Florence, Niccolo Machiavelli navigated his way through the violence and political uncertainty of Renaissance Italy. Recognized for his keen mind and understanding of human nature and government, Machiavelli courted kings and popes as the leading ambassador for his beloved Republic. But it was a time of treachery, collusion, and war. Wrongfully accused and convicted, Machiavelli lost everything when the Medici returned to power. Except his mind and his quill. Hoping to write his way back into Florentine society, he drew upon his experiences and the villains of his time in his novellas, histories, plays, and political treatises such as the Discourses on Livy, The Art of War, and his irreverent masterpiece, The Prince, earning his place in history as the father of modern political science.