Today's Passage
This passage concludes the famous Melian Dialogue and describes the siege and destruction of Melos (416-415 BCE).
Crawley Translation (1910)
Such was the answer of the Melians. The Athenians now departing from the conference said: “Well, you alone, as it seems to us, judging from these resolutions, regard what is future as more certain than what is before your eyes, and what is out of sight, in your eagerness, as already coming to pass; and as you have staked most on, and trusted most in, the Lacedaemonians, your fortune, and your hopes, so will you be most completely deceived.”
The Athenian envoys now returned to the army; and the Melians showing no signs of yielding, the generals at once betook themselves to hostilities, and drew a line of circumvallation round the Melians, dividing the work among the different states. Subsequently the Athenians returned with most of their army, leaving behind them a certain number of their own citizens and of the allies to keep guard by land and sea. The force thus left stayed on and besieged the place.
About the same time the Argives invaded the territory of Phlius and lost eighty men cut off in an ambush by the Phliasians and Argive exiles. Meanwhile the Athenians at Pylos took so much plunder from the Lacedaemonians that the latter, although they still refrained from breaking off the treaty and going to war with Athens, yet proclaimed that any of their people that chose might plunder the Athenians. The Corinthians also commenced hostilities with the Athenians for private quarrels of their own; but the rest of the Peloponnesians stayed quiet. Meanwhile the Melians attacked by night and took the part of the Athenian lines over against the market, and killed some of the men, and brought in corn and all else that they could find useful to them, and so returned and kept quiet, while the Athenians took measures to keep better guard in future.
Summer was now over. The next winter the Lacedaemonians intended to invade the Argive territory, but arriving at the frontier found the sacrifices for crossing unfavourable, and went back again. This intention of theirs gave the Argives suspicions of certain of their fellow citizens, some of whom they arrested; others, however, escaped them. About the same time the Melians again took another part of the Athenian lines which were but feebly garrisoned. Reinforcements afterwards arriving from Athens in consequence, under the command of Philocrates, son of Demeas, the siege was now pressed vigorously; and some treachery taking place inside, the Melians surrendered at discretion to the Athenians, who put to death all the grown men whom they took, and sold the women and children for slaves, and subsequently sent out five hundred colonists and inhabited the place themselves.
Modern Translation
This was the Melians' response. As the Athenians prepared to leave the negotiations, they declared: 'It appears to us that you alone, based on these decisions, consider uncertain future possibilities more real than the facts before your eyes. In your wishful thinking, you already see as accomplished what remains invisible and unproven. Having wagered everything on the Spartans, your luck, and your aspirations, you will find yourselves utterly betrayed by all three.'
The Athenian ambassadors then returned to their forces. When the Melians showed no intention of surrendering, the commanders immediately commenced military operations. They constructed siege works completely encircling Melos, with different allied contingents responsible for various sections. The Athenians then withdrew the bulk of their forces, leaving behind a garrison of their own citizens and allied troops to maintain the blockade by land and sea. This remaining force continued the siege operations.
During this period, the Argives launched an invasion of Phliasian territory but suffered a defeat, losing eighty soldiers who were caught in an ambush by Phliasian forces and Argive political exiles. At Pylos, the Athenians seized such quantities of booty from Spartan territory that the Spartans—though still unwilling to formally break the peace treaty and declare war on Athens—issued a proclamation permitting any of their citizens who wished to conduct reprisals against Athenian interests. The Corinthians likewise initiated hostilities against Athens due to their own particular grievances, though the other Peloponnesian states remained neutral. Meanwhile, the Melians executed a nighttime assault on the section of Athenian siege lines near the marketplace, killing several soldiers and carrying off grain supplies and other useful materials before withdrawing. Following this breach, the Athenians strengthened their defensive positions.
The summer season concluded. The following winter, the Spartans prepared to invade Argive territory, but upon reaching the border, their ritual sacrifices proved unfavorable for crossing, forcing them to abandon the campaign. This aborted invasion aroused suspicions among the Argives regarding certain citizens' loyalty. They managed to arrest some suspected traitors, though others fled before capture. During this same period, the Melians successfully attacked another weakly defended section of the Athenian siege works. In response, Athens dispatched reinforcements commanded by Philocrates, son of Demeas. With these fresh troops, the siege intensified dramatically. When treachery emerged within the city, the Melians finally surrendered unconditionally to Athenian authority. The Athenians executed every adult male they captured and enslaved all women and children. They subsequently established their own colony on the island, sending five hundred settlers to occupy the depopulated territory.
Historical Context
This passage concludes the famous Melian Dialogue and describes the siege and destruction of Melos (416-415 BCE). The neutral island of Melos had refused Athenian demands to join their empire, relying on hopes of Spartan intervention and abstract notions of justice. The Athenians, having failed in negotiations, now implement a brutal siege. The passage demonstrates Athens at the height of its imperial power, willing to destroy an entire community to maintain its dominance. The massacre represents a moral nadir for democratic Athens and foreshadows the disastrous Sicilian Expedition. The parallel events at Argos and Pylos show the broader deterioration of the Peace of Nicias, as various conflicts erupted without formally breaking the treaty.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Siege Warfare
The 'line of circumvallation' refers to fortified siege works completely surrounding a city, preventing supplies or reinforcements from entering. This technique, requiring significant manpower and engineering skill, demonstrated Athens' military capabilities and determination to starve Melos into submission.
Learn more →Greek Religious Practice
The Spartans' decision to abort their invasion due to unfavorable sacrifices illustrates the central role of religious divination in military campaigns. Greek armies regularly performed sacrifices before crossing borders, and negative omens could halt even urgent military operations.
Learn more →Athenian Imperialism
The execution of all adult males and enslavement of women and children represents standard Athenian practice for rebellious subjects. This brutal policy aimed to terrorize other potential rebels while providing economic benefits through slave sales and new settlement opportunities for Athenian citizens.
Learn more →The Peace of Nicias
Despite ongoing conflicts at Pylos and elsewhere, both Athens and Sparta technically maintained their peace treaty. This passage shows how the agreement was increasingly undermined by proxy conflicts and unofficial hostilities, demonstrating the treaty's fundamental weakness.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Xenophon: Hellenica (2.2.3)
Xenophon describes Athens suffering similar treatment after its defeat in 404 BCE, with calls for the city's complete destruction, showing how Athens' brutal imperialism eventually returned upon itself.
Read passage →Plutarch: Life of Nicias (11)
Plutarch provides additional context about Athenian politics during this period, showing how aggressive imperialism was driven by demagogues despite Nicias' attempts at moderation.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (12.80.5)
Diodorus offers a parallel account of the Melian massacre, providing additional details about the number of victims and the subsequent Athenian colonization.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does the Athenians' final statement about the Melians' misplaced trust reflect the themes of the entire dialogue?
- What does the religious prohibition that stopped the Spartan invasion suggest about the relationship between divine will and political action in Greek society?
- How might the massacre at Melos have affected Athens' reputation and relationships with other Greek states?
- Does Thucydides' matter-of-fact narration of the massacre imply approval, condemnation, or neutrality toward Athenian actions?