Read this paragraph from chapter 5 of The Prince B.
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.
Hereditary states never forget their former loyalties, so they are hard to control.