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

What is Machiavelli's primary purpose in writing this

passage?

Oto inform readers about the history of Rome and

Sparta and how they built their empires

Oto inform readers about the fates of the cities

conquered by the Spartans and the Romans

Oto persuade readers that a conquering prince must

destroy a former republic if he hopes to hold it

Oto persuade reders that a republic will remember

freedom and someday rebel against a conqueror