Question

read this paragraph 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 what idea is stressed in the passage? the desire for liberty the establishment of an oligarchy the dismantling of an acquired state the tendency toward rebellion

Explanation:

The passage contrasts the Spartans (who tried to hold states with oligarchies or leave them free and failed) and the Romans (who dismantled conquered states and succeeded). It concludes that the only safe way to retain an acquired state, especially one used to freedom, is to dismantle it, as otherwise rebellion will occur. The other options are either supporting details (oligarchy, liberty as a rebellion rallying cry) or a related outcome, not the core stressed idea.

Answer:

the dismantling of an acquired state