Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian Renaissance historian, politician, diplomat, philosopher, humanist and writer. Machiavelli is often called the founder of modern political science. He was a senior official in the Florentine Republic, with responsibilities in diplomatic and military affairs. In addition to writing The Prince, which is Niccolo Machiavelli's most renowned work, Niccolo Machiavelli was also a writer of comedies, carnival songs, and poetry. The Prince is a 16th century political treatise by the Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli that was published in 1532, five years after Machiavelli's death. The Prince is considered by many to be one of the first works of modern philosophy, especially modern political philosophy, in which the effective truth is taken to be more important than any abstract ideal. Although The Prince was published in 1532 it is believed that The Prince was completed a few months prior to Niccolo Machiavelli's arrest, torture, and banishment by the in coming regime. The Prince is described by Machiavelli as being an unembellished summary of his knowledge about the nature of princes and the actions of great men, all of which was taken from his real life experiences. In The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli advises princes how to tyrannize, however Machiavelli is thought to have preferred some form of free republic. The Prince is is often required textbook reading in various areas of study such as philosophy, politics & social sciences, politics & government, and political science.