The Conflicts Between Athens And The Peloponnesian War

During the Greco-Persian Wars, Athens and Sparta fought side-by-side as a team to defeat the Persians. However, after they defeated the Persians, Athens gained even more power, which led to conflicts between the prior allies. As a result, these two powerful city-states fought one another in the Peloponnesian War. During the late 5th century BCE, Thucydides, a historian of this time period, described the events of the Peloponnesian War in his book History of the Peloponnesian War (5.84-116). In this account, Thucydides explains a set of negotiations between the Melians (an island under Spartan control) and the Athenians formerly known as “The Melian Dialogue”. The Melian Dialogue gives an extensive knowledge about how the two city-states diplomatically debated on Athens’ attempt to take over the Spartan island of Melos.
Athens was a forceful city-state that utilized violence to overthrow territories and achieve power over these defeated lands. However, in the case of Melos and Athens, ambassadors from both these states met privately to discuss the confrontation of Athens attempting to conquer Melos. The Athenians stated “We will now proceed to show you that we are come here in the interest of our empire”, which this ideal is the Athenians overall purpose to justify why they must overthrow Melos. Based on the Athenians’ statement, the Athenians feel that in order for them to remain in a powerful position, on a worldwide scale, they must gain control of weaker