Read this paragraph from chapter 5 of The Prince.
But when cities or countries are accustomed to live
under a prince, and his family is exterminated, they,
being on the one hand accustomed to obey and on the
other hand not having the old prince, cannot agree in
making one from amongst themselves, and they do not
know how to govern themselves. For this reason they
are very slow to take up arms, and a prince can gain
them to himself and secure them much more easily. But
in republics there is more vitality, greater hatred, and
more desire for vengeance, which will never permit them
to allow the memory of their former liberty to rest; so that
the safest way is to destroy them or to reside there.
Which option best states the main idea of the passage?
○ Former republics are more difficult to rule than
hereditary states, and they will rebel if they are not
tightly controlled.
The strategies for controlling hereditary states and
former republics are the same.
◇ Hereditary states come with a history that must be
deeply understood if a new prince is to control them
easily.
O Hereditary states never forget their former loyalties,
so they are hard to control.