Question

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.

–The Prince,
Niccolò Machiavelli

Which text structure does Machiavelli use in this passage?

Which idea from the text best illustrates this structure?

How does this text structure help the author convey his central idea?

Answer 1

1. Text structure: Comparison/contrast (with a cause-and-effect implication).

2. Idea that best illustrates it: “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.”

3. How the structure helps convey the central idea: By juxtaposing two different policies and their outcomes, Machiavelli invites the reader to compare causes and effects. The parallel sentences make it clear that the Spartans’ choice to leave institutions intact under an imposed oligarchy failed, while the Romans’ choice to dismantle opposition succeeded. That contrast supports his central claim about which methods are effective for holding conquered territories.