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EHMcLogan HistoryLab Name_____________________________________________ TheMelianDialogue,415BCE ThisartifactisfromtheGreekhistorianThucydides’PeloponnesianWar,inwhichhedescribesAthenianactionsinthe 16thyearofthatwar.MeloswasanislandthatwishedtoremainneutralinthewarbetweenAthensandSparta. Thucydideswritesaboutitinthestyleofadebatebetweenrepresentativesfromeachside. 1Athenians.Wewillnowproceedtoshowyouthatwearecomehereintheinterestofourempire,andthatweshall saywhatwearenowgoingtosay,forthepreservationofyourcountry;aswewouldfainexercisethatempireover youwithouttrouble,andseeyoupreservedforthegoodofusboth. 2Melians.Andhow,pray,coulditturnoutasgoodforustoserveasforyoutorule? 3Athenians.Becauseyouwouldhavetheadvantageofsubmittingbeforesufferingtheworst,andweshouldgainby notdestroyingyou. 4Melians.Sothatyouwouldnotconsenttoourbeingneutral,friendsinsteadofenemies,butalliesofneitherside. 5Athenians.No;foryourhostilitycannotsomuchhurtusasyourfriendshipwillbeanargumenttooursubjectsof ourweakness,andyourenmityofourpower. 6Melians.Isthatyoursubjects'ideaofequity,toputthosewhohavenothingtodowithyouinthesamecategorywith peoplesthataremostofthemyourowncolonists,andsomeconqueredrebels? 7Athenians.Asfarasrightgoestheythinkonehasasmuchofitastheother,andthatifanymaintaintheir independenceitisbecausetheyarestrong,andthatifwedonotmolestthemitisbecauseweareafraid;sothat besidesextendingourempireweshouldgaininsecuritybyyoursubjection;thefactthatyouareislandersand weakerthanothersrenderingitallthemoreimportantthatyoushouldnotsucceedinbafflingthemastersofthesea. 8Melians.Butdoyouconsiderthatthereisnosecurityinthepolicywhichweindicate?Forhereagainifyoudebarus fromtalkingaboutjusticeandinviteustoobeyyourinterest,wealsomustexplainours,andtrytopersuadeyou,if thetwohappentocoincide.Howcanyouavoidmakingenemiesofallexistingneutralswhoshalllookatourcaseand concludefromitthatonedayoranotheryouwillattackthem?Andwhatisthisbuttomakegreatertheenemiesthat youhavealready,andtoforceotherstobecomesowhowouldotherwisehaveneverthoughtofit? 9Athenians.Why,thefactisthatcontinentalsgenerallygiveusbutlittlealarm;thelibertywhichtheyenjoywilllong preventtheirtakingprecautionsagainstus;itisratherislanderslikeyourselves,outsideourempire,andsubjects smartingundertheyoke,whowouldbethemostlikelytotakearashstepandleadthemselvesandusintoobvious danger. 10Melians.Wellthen,ifyourisksomuchtoretainyourempire,andyoursubjectstogetridofit,itweresurelygreat basenessandcowardiceinuswhoarestillfreenottotryeverythingthatcanbetried,beforesubmittingtoyouryoke. 11Athenians.Notifyouarewelladvised,thecontestnotbeinganequalone,withhonorastheprizeandshameasthe penalty,butaquestionofself‐preservationandofnotresistingthosewhoarefarstrongerthanyouare. 12Melians.Butweknowthatthefortuneofwarissometimesmoreimpartialthanthedisproportionofnumbers mightleadonetosuppose;tosubmitistogiveourselvesovertodespair,whileactionstillpreservesforusahopethat wemaystanderect. 13Athenians.Hope,danger'scomforter,maybeindulgedinbythosewhohaveabundantresources,ifnotwithoutloss atalleventswithoutruin;butitsnatureistobeextravagant,andthosewhogosofarastoputtheiralluponthe ventureseeitinitstruecolorsonlywhentheyareruined;butsolongasthediscoverywouldenablethemtoguard againstit,itisneverfoundwanting.Letnotthisbethecasewithyou,whoareweakandhangonasingleturnofthe scale;norbelikethevulgar,who,abandoningsuchsecurityashumanmeansmaystillafford,whenvisiblehopesfail theminextremity,turntoinvisible,topropheciesandoracles,andothersuchinventionsthatdeludemenwithhopes totheirdestruction. 14Melians.Youmaybesurethatweareaswellawareasyouofthedifficultyofcontendingagainstyourpowerand fortune,unlessthetermsbeequal.Butwetrustthatthegodsmaygrantusfortuneasgoodasyours,sincewearejust menfightingagainstunjust,andthatwhatwewantinpowerwillbemadeupbytheallianceoftheLacedaemonians, whoarebound,ifonlyforveryshame,tocometotheaidoftheirkindred.Ourconfidence,therefore,afterallisnotso utterlyirrational. 15Athenians.Yourstrongestargumentsdependuponhopeandthefuture,andyouractualresourcesaretooscanty, ascomparedwiththosearrayedagainstyou,foryoutocomeoutvictorious.Youwillthereforeshowgreatblindness ofjudgment,unless,afterallowingustoretire,youcanfindsomecounselmoreprudentthanthis.Youwillsurelynot becaughtbythatideaofdisgrace,which…provessofataltomankind;sinceintoomanycasestheverymenthathave theireyesperfectlyopentowhattheyarerushinginto,letthethingcalleddisgrace,bythemereinfluenceofa seductivename,leadthemontoapointatwhichtheybecomesoenslavedbythephraseasinfacttofallwilfullyinto hopelessdisaster,andincurdisgracemoredisgracefulasthecompanionoferror,thanwhenitcomesastheresultof misfortune.This,ifyouarewelladvised,youwillguardagainst;andyouwillnotthinkitdishonorabletosubmittothe greatestcityinHellas,whenitmakesyouthemoderateofferofbecomingitstributaryally,withoutceasingtoenjoy thecountrythatbelongstoyou;norwhenyouhavethechoicegivenyoubetweenwarandsecurity,willyoubeso blindedastochoosetheworse.Anditiscertainthatthosewhodonotyieldtotheirequals,whokeeptermswiththeir superiors,andaremoderatetowardstheirinferiors,onthewholesucceedbest.Thinkoverthematter,therefore,after ourwithdrawal,andreflectonceandagainthatitisforyourcountrythatyouareconsulting,thatyouhavenotmore thanone,andthatuponthisonedeliberationdependsitsprosperityorruin. 16TheAtheniansnowwithdrewfromtheconference;andtheMelians,lefttothemselves,cametoadecision correspondingwithwhattheyhadmaintainedinthediscussion,andanswered:"Ourresolution,Athenians,isthe sameasitwasatfirst.Wewillnotinamomentdepriveoffreedomacitythathasbeeninhabitedthesesevenhundred years;butweputourtrustinthefortunebywhichthegodshavepreservedituntilnow,andinthehelpofmen,thatis, oftheLacedaemonians;andsowewilltryandsaveourselves.Meanwhileweinviteyoutoallowustobefriendsto youandfoestoneitherparty,andtoretirefromourcountryaftermakingsuchatreatyasshallseemfittousboth." SuchwastheansweroftheMelians… [HostilitieseruptbetweentheAtheniansandvariousothercities,includingtheMelians.] AboutthesametimetheMeliansagaintookanotherpartoftheAthenianlineswhichwerebutfeeblygarrisoned. ReinforcementsafterwardsarrivingfromAthensinconsequence,underthecommandofPhilocrates,sonofDemeas, thesiegewasnowpressedvigorously;andsometreacherytakingplaceinside,theMelianssurrenderedatdiscretion totheAthenians,whoputtodeathallthegrownmenwhomtheytook,andsoldthewomenandchildrenforslaves, andsubsequentlysentoutfivehundredcolonistsandinhabitedtheplacethemselves.
