During a time of political and social upheaval, when Popes were leading armies and city-states were falling into foreign hands, political theorist and Florentine public servant, Niccolò Machiavelli, rose to prominent position in the state and wrote one of the most stimulating political treatise ever scripted. Not published until five years after his death, "The Prince" examines the acquisition, perpetuation, and use of political power and how a prince might gain and maintain that power. Machiavelli's ideals on ruling a country have had a profound impact on political leaders throughout the modern west.