Question

Read the passage from chapter 17 of The Prince.

That it is true his other virtues would not have been sufficient for him may be proved by the case of Scipio, that most excellent man, not only of his own times but within the memory of man, against whom, nevertheless, his army rebelled in Spain; this arose from nothing but his too great forbearance, which gave his soldiers more license than is consistent with military discipline. For this he was upbraided in the Senate by Fabius Maximus, and called the corrupter of the Roman soldiery. The Locrians were laid waste by a legate of Scipio, yet they were not avenged by him, nor was the insolence of the legate punished, owing entirely to his easy nature. Insomuch that someone in the Senate, wishing to excuse him, said there were many men who knew much better how not to err than to correct the errors of others. This disposition, if he had been continued in the command, would have destroyed in time the fame and glory of Scipio; but, he being under the control of the Senate, this injurious characteristic not only concealed itself, but contributed to his glory.

How does anecdotal evidence in this passage support the claim that cruelty is a necessary part of leadership?

by showing how Scipio was too lenient and his army rebelled
by depicting how leniency destroyed the Senate
by showing how Fabius Maximus was feared in the Senate
by showing how Scipio’s army rebelled, and how he stopped the rebellion

Answer 1

A on edge 2021

Step-by-step explanation:

took the test

Answer 2

by showing how Scipio was too lenient and his army rebelled

Step-by-step explanation:

The text above shows that Scipio was a very tolerant and kind general. The bland behavior he displayed with soldiers gave them a lot of freedom and devalued the military discipline that must be maintained within an army. This freedom allowed the soldiers to rebel against Scipio and fight him, regardless of the kindness they received from him. In this text, we can see that a leader cannot be too tolerant and cruelty must be part of the tolerance process. This is evident in the lines:

"[..] his army rebelled in Spain; this arose from nothing but his too great forbearance, which gave his soldiers more license than is consistent with military discipline."