The Melian War

Throughout the Peloponnesian war, the island of Melos had managed to remain neutral, while refusing to become a subject of Athens. However, as the war progressed, Athens closed in on the island, which responded with hostility. The Athenians the in a frank manner suitable to their bold nature, offered the Melians an ultimatum that was essentially to surrender and pay tribute to Athens, or be conquered and destroyed. Throughout the dialogue that commenced between the Melians and the Athenians, the subjects of power, justice and prudence are addressed and debated while the theories of human nature and the relationships of states come out in the conclusions of the previously mentioned subjects. Power is a prominent and key player in the discussion
In response to the Athenians, they say, “Here again, since you have driven us away from a plea for justice and are telling us to surrender to whatever is in your interest, we must show you what would be good for us, and try to persuade you that your interests coincide with ours” [98]. In an effort to act and care for the future, the Melians persistently try to convince the Athenians that they are acting in a manner that is best for the self-interest of Athens. However, the results come down to the Melians having to concede or fight. They instead put their trust in assistance from chance, the gods and he Spartans… all of which let them
They demonstrate courage and a love for their country, and simply do not wish to lose their freedom. In spite of the fact that they are militarily weaker than the Athenians, they are prepared to defend themselves. The majority of their appeals to the Athenians are based on the concept of justice, with which they associate with fairness, thus regarding the Athenians as “unjust.” They put their faith in the Gods that they believe will support their cause and compensate for their weakness, and trust that their allies, the Spartans, will help them. Hence, it can be deduced that the elements of the speech of the Melians are those of the idealistic or liberal world views: the belief that nations have the right to exercise political independence, that they have mutual obligations to one another and will carry out such obligations, and that a war of aggression is unjust. Nevertheless, in the end, no matter the amounts of hope, the Melians lack the resources and foresight to defend themselves. As the Athenians forewarned, “People who put everything they have at risk will learn what hope is when it fails them, for hope is prodigal by nature; and once they have learned this, it is too late to take precautions for the future”