ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Niccolò Machiavelli

Okay, little one, let's learn about Niccolo Machiavelli! Niccolo Machiavelli was a man who lived a very long time ago in Italy. He lived during the Renaissance, which was a time when people were interested in art, science, and learning. But Niccolo Machiavelli is famous for something else - he is famous for writing a book called "The Prince".

Now, "The Prince" is a book all about how people, especially rulers, should act in order to be successful. See, Niccolo Machiavelli believed that in order to be a good ruler, you had to be willing to do whatever it takes. You might have to be sneaky or mean - but it was all in the name of being successful.

Some people think that Niccolo Machiavelli was a really bad person because of the things he wrote in "The Prince". They think he was telling people that it was okay to be dishonest and cruel. But other people think that he was just trying to explain what happened in the real world. After all, being a ruler is hard work and sometimes people have to make tough decisions.

So, Niccolo Machiavelli was a man who wrote a book about how to be a successful ruler. Some people think he was a bad person, but others think he was just trying to explain the difficult choices leaders have to make. Either way, he was a really important person during the Renaissance and his ideas are still talked about today!