Clash of Cultures

Saskia Onggo October 27, 2015

In The Peloponnesian Wars, by Thucydides, the Athenians of ancient Greece are

involved in a war. The text takes place in Hellas, or now known as the Balkan Peninsula during
431-404 BCE. In order to supplement their power and wealth, the Athenians approached the
Melians, a former Spartan Colony, with a proposal, to submit to Athenian power or to die trying
to oppose them. The Melians and Athenians were completely opposites in every way possible, a
clash of cultures. The Athenians were justified in their treatment of the Melians because they

were following societal values, involved in a wartime crisis and concerned about the impending
domino effect. So yes, the Athenians were justified in their treatment of the Melians.
Your survival hangs on a single throw of the dice. You cant risk. Thats the way to
destruction (70). The Athenians didnt want to lose the war. They needed to make sure that they
would win at all costs, and risking was unpredictable. Knowing the outcome is impossible and
relying on only the gods to guide you to victory? Thats not something that will ensure the win. If
the Athenians let the Melians stay in their original position, it would almost ensure their loss.
Losing the war meant not being strong, and the Athenians detested looking weak.
The Athenians were concerned for their reputation. On line 38 they state, Your neutrality
may look like our weakness. Theyre warning the Melians, giving them the ultimatum and
hinting towards what could be coming in the near future. They didnt want to look weak. There
was an almost domino effect in play here, if they let the Melians off the hook, the other islands
and cities will think that they could reciprocate the action. If we dont attack them, it is because
we are afraid. Youre weaker than many of our subjects (45). The Athenians are discussing their
thoughts on the matter with the Melians, and in the process trying to shut down the Melians
thoughts of attempting to stand against the Athenians for their own opinion.
The Athenians were following what theyve been taught their whole life. They
have expectations, both from their subjects and from each other. To our subjects, there are only
two kinds of people. There are those we rule and those we dont rule (42), and the Melians were
people that they did not rule over. Representing physis, the Athenians recognized the Melians as
another target, a weak one at that. Youre weaker than many of our subjects. We cant let you
escape the masters of the sea (46). When the Athenians were as strong as they considered
themselves, losing to the Melians was unacceptable.

In conclusion, the Athenians were justified in their treatment of the Melians. They
threatened the Melians because they they wanted to win the war. In order to win the war they
needed the money and support of other cities and islands to help them in their time of need.
Since the Melians didnt comply, the Athenians did what they thought was needed. The Melians
and Athenians argument was something rather ordinary to me. The Melians wanted to die for
neutrality, a trend that has occurred many times throughout history. Ironically, they fought for
neutrality. They fought for their clash of cultures.