There are, for example, the Spartans and the Romans. The Spartans held Athens and Thebes, establishing there an oligarchy: never
theless 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. Which statement best summarizes the central idea of the paragraph? The Spartans and the Romans are alike in how they retain possession of newly acquired states. The Spartans and the Romans are alike in their approach to ruling newly acquired states. Observing what happened to the Spartans and the Romans shows that it is best to destroy a newly acquired state that is accustomed to freedom. Observing what happened to the Spartans and the Romans shows that it is best to establish an oligarchy in a newly acquired state that is accustomed to freedom.
The correct answer is C. Observing what happened to the Spartans and the Romans shows that it is best to destroy a newly acquired state that is accustomed to freedom.
Explanation:
The text focuses on explaining the differences between the Spartans and the Romans when conquering new territories. The author explains the Romans destroyed and dismantled new territories, and were successful. On the opposite, the Spartans were not successful because they only established a government in new territories.
This implies, destroying new states is a better strategy than allowing freedom, this is reinforced by the idea "he who becomes master of a city accustomed to freedom and does not destroy it may expect to be destroyed by it" that shows the need to destroy or dismantle new states to control them. Thus, the main idea is that destruction is the best strategy to use with acquired states which is proven by comparing Spartans and Romans.
