Read this paragraph from chapter 5 of The Prince.
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
Which statement best summarizes the central idea of
the paragraph?
O The Spartans and the Romans are alike in how they
retain possession of newly acquired states.
O The Spartans and the Romans are alike in their
approach to ruling newly acquired states.
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.
O 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.