The Peloponnesian WarThe Peloponnesian Warby Thucydidesby Thucydides

The Melian The Melian DialogueDialogue

DELPHI

DELPHI

The Melian Dialogue

The leaders of Melos faced a terrible choice:

Have their Countrymen die as free men or live as slaves. The powerful Athenian generals and their fleet of thirty-eight ships carrying heavy infantry and archers waited at the shores of Melos ready for action as the Melians deliberated.

The Dialogue

The Athenians The Melians

The One Word Essay

Describe the Melian Dilemma and the Athenian position in one word.

“Return with your Shield or on it”The words of the mothers ofSpartan soldiers showing theirdisdain for cowardice.

Results

The Peloponnesian War robbed Athens of its Golden Age.

Great thinkers and teachers lived in Athens during and after the war but the era of support for new ideas and the spirit of democracy had passed.

Modern Parallels

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." —Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004 (Watch video)

"My answer is bring them on." —on Iraqi insurgents attacking U.S. forces, Washington, D.C., July 3, 2003

"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." —Washington, D.C., Dec. 19, 2000

Source: http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/blbushdumbquotes2.htm

Parallels

Bibliography• http://www.mrdowling.com/images/701peloponnesian.gif

• http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~kallet/greece/Map%20Peloponnesian%20War.jpg

• www.howarddavidjohnson.com/ legends.htm