In collaboration with Folkuniversitetet. Machiavelli. The name is synonymous with power, and his book The Prince has been read for 500 years as the ultimate handbook for tyrants. But could it have been written for an entirely different purpose? And what does it reveal about the man who held the pen? As a top diplomat for the Republic of Florence, Niccolò Machiavelli stood at the center of events. He navigated through a world of conspiring princes, warring popes, and fanatical prophets. He fought for his city, won victories - and lost everything. Imprisoned, tortured, and exiled, he was forced into exile. It was in this defeat that Machiavelli created his immortal work. Historian Erik Petersson paints in this lecture a personal portrait that goes beyond the myth and reveals the hidden agenda behind The Prince. It is a story about the true nature of power and the price of freedom - more relevant today than ever.