ligarchy　which　will　keep　it　friendly　to　you。　Because　such　a　government；being　created　by　the　prince；　knows　that　it　cannot　stand　without　hisfriendship　and　interest；　and　does　its　utmost　to　support　him；　andtherefore　he　who　would　keep　a　city　accustomed　to　freedom　will　hold　itmore　easily　by　the　means　of　its　own　citizens　than　in　any　other　way。There　are；　for　example；　the　Spartans　and　the　Romans。　The　Spartans　heldAthens　and　Thebes；　establishing　there　an　oligarchy；　nevertheless　theylost　them。　The　Romans；　in　order　to　hold　Capua；　Carthage；　and　Numantia；dismantled　them；　and　did　not　lose　them。　They　wished　to　hold　Greece　asthe　Spartans　held　it；　making　it　free　and　permitting　its　laws；　and　didnot　succeed。　So　to　hold　it　they　were　pelled　to　dismantle　many　citiesin　the　country；　for　in　truth　there　is　no　safe　way　to　retain　themotherwise　than　by　ruining　them。　And　he　who　bees　master　of　a　cityaccustomed　to　freedom　and　does　not　destroy　it；　may　expect　to　bedestroyed　by　it；　for　in　rebellion　it　has　always　the　watch…word　ofliberty　and　its　ancient　privileges　as　a　rallying　point；　which　neithertime　nor　benefits　will　ever　cause　it　to　forget。　And　what　ever　you　may　door　provide　against；　they　never　forget　that　name　or　their　privilegesunless　they　are　disunited　or　dispersed　but　at　every　chance　theyimmediately　rally　to　them；　as　Pisa　after　the　hundred　years　she　had　beenheld　in　bondage　by　the　Florentines。But　when　cities　or　countries　are　accustomed　to　live　under　a　prince；　andhis　family　is　exterminated；　they；　being　on　the　one　hand　accustomed　toobey　and　on　the　other　hand　not　having　the　old　prince；　cannot　agree　inmaking　one　from　amongst　themselves；　and　they　do　not　know　how　to　governthemselves。　For　this　reason　they　are　very　slow　to　take　up　arms；　and　aprince　can　gain　them　to　himself　and　secure　them　much　more　easily。