Machiavelli argues that a conquering prince must destroy a former republic to retain control due to the risk of rebellion and the memory of freedom and privileges.
Machiavelli's primary purpose in writing the passage is to persuade readers that a conquering prince must destroy a former republic if he hopes to hold it. He argues that holding onto conquered territories accustomed to freedom can lead to rebellion due to the innate desire for liberty and the memory of past privileges. Machiavelli emphasizes that to retain control, one must either ruin the conquered city, reside there in person, or establish rule through an oligarchy while allowing the city to live under its own laws.
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