Lorenzo de' Medici, the tyrant of Florence, received the Prince from Machiavelli.A letter from Niccol Machiavelli to the Magnificent Lorenzo de' Medici is the dedication of The Prince by Machiavelli to Lorenzo de' Medici, the duke of Florence.
The Prince served two purposes for Machiavelli: to explain to a ruler or would-be ruler how to best maintain a secure and prosperous state amidst the political unrest of early 16th-century Italy; and to atone for his past transgressions in the eyes of the ruler of Florence, Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici, as Machiavelli desired to regain his position in the political hierarchy.
