Read this passage 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 or their privileges unless they are disunited or
What text evidence supports Machiavelli's primary
purpose to persuade readers that a conquering prince
must destroy a former republic if he hopes to hold
it? Select three options.
the list of cities Rome and Sparta conquered
the portrayal of Greece as being held by Sparta
the explanation of how Rome held Capua, Carthage,
and Numantia
the description of liberty as a rallying cry for rebellion in
former republics
the example of the Florentines losing control over Pisa