Question

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 dispersed, but at every chance they immediately rally to them, as Pisa after the hundred years she had been held in bondage by the Florentines. What text evidence supports Machiavelli’s secondary purpose to inform readers about the tactics Sparta and Rome used to hold cities and their effectiveness? Select three options. the list of cities conquered by Sparta and Rome the description of how Sparta had held Greece the explanation of why Rome dismantled Greek cities the characterization of liberty as a “watchword” of rebellion the example of Pisa rebelling against the Florentines

Answer 1

Machiavelli's text in 'The Prince' illustrates the tactics used by Sparta and Rome to control conquered cities. The description of Spartan oligarchy, Rome's strategy of dismantling cities, and the example of Pisa's rebellion serve as evidence for the effectiveness of these methods.

Step-by-step explanation:

The passage from The Prince provides examples and analysis of how Sparta and Rome tried to secure their conquered cities. To support Machiavelli’s secondary purpose of informing the readers about the different tactics used by Sparta and Rome and their effectiveness, three pieces of text evidence can be identified:

• The description of how Sparta held Greece by establishing an oligarchy reveals one method of control, which proved to be ineffective as they ultimately lost Athens and Thebes.
• The explanation of why Rome dismantled Greek cities, which is a tactic that contrasts with the Spartan method, highlights Rome’s approach to preventing rebellion by eradicating the roots of possible resistance.
• The example of Pisa rebelling against the Florentines is a historical reference that serves to illustrate the potential for a city accustomed to freedom to remember its traditions and rebel against its conquerors.