Read this paragraph from chapter 5 of The Prince.
Which statement best summarizes the central idea of the
paragraph?
O
There are, for example, the Spartans and the Romans. The
Spartans held Athens and Thebes, establishing there an
oligarchy: nevertheless they lost them. The Romans, in
order to hold Capua, Carthage, and Numantia, dismantled
them, and did not lose them. They wished to hold Greece as
the Spartans held it, making it free and permitting its laws,
and did not succeed. So to hold it they were compelled to
dismantle many cities in the country, for in truth there is no
safe way to retain them otherwise than by ruining them. And
he who becomes master of a city accustomed to freedom
and does not destroy it, may expect to be destroyed by it, for
in rebellion it has always the watchword of liberty and its
ancient privileges as a rallying point, which neither time nor
benefits will ever cause it to forget. And whatever you may
do or provide against, they never forget that name or their
privileges unless they are disunited or dispersed, but at
every chance they immediately rally to them, as Pisa after
The Spartans and the Romans are alike in how they
retain possession of newly acquired states.
The Spartans and the Romans are alike in their approach
to ruling newly acquired states.
O Observing what happened to the Spartans and the
Romans shows that it is best to destroy a newly acquired
state that is accustomed to freedom.
Observing what happened to the Spartans and the
Romans shows that it is best to establish an oligarchy in a
newly acquired state that is accustomed to freedom.