Machiavelli’s treatise is best understood in the context of which of the following?

(A) A time of burgeoning economic prosperity among the lower classes of Italian society (B) A time of increasing religious devotion among the elite Italian scholars (C) A time of intense political conflict among warring Italian city-states and other factions (D) A time of collegial cooperation between scholars and ecclesiastical authorities in ItalyExplanation: At the time that this passage was written, Italy was governed by independent city-states that were often at war with each other, with the church, and with other nations such as France and Spain. Machiavelli’s treatise is thus in some ways a reaction to the political uncertainty of his day, making (C) the best answer.