The Melian Dialogue, which was written by the Greek historian Thucydides, tells of the Peloponnesian War that was fought by the Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta or Lacedaemos between 431 and 404 BC. C. The war divided ancient Greece. The Lacedaemonians founded their allies among the other city-states of the Peloponnese, one of which is Melos, to resist the power of the Athenians. The Melians inhabited Melos and the Athenians tried to convince them to become their tributary state. The Peloponnesian War lasted twenty-seven years and involved many other city-states in addition to Athens and Sparta. It was a great tragedy for all of Greece, causing widespread destruction, loss of life and political unrest.
The Melian Dialogue began with the Athenians proposing how the discussion would unfold. The Machiavellian theory of the right to rule and invade based on military force became evident when the Athenians claimed that they have the prerogative to rule and acquire Melos as their tributary state because they were the masters of the sea whose strength and power contributed to the defeat. . of the mighty Persians. The Melians responded that their main concern was the preservation of their city and the decision to remain neutral and friendly to the Athenians without becoming their subjects. The Athenians viewed the Melians as insignificant islanders who were a threat to their empire. It turned out that the Melians were out of control and were very likely to endanger not only themselves, but the Athenians as well. By submitting to their empire, the Athenians claimed that not only should their empire be expanded and its security increased, but that the Melians should also enjoy its preservation.
The latter argued that the Athenians would become more enemies, especially among neutrals, if they continued to force them to give up their freedom to become the tributary state of Athens. They saw themselves as cowards if they ever decided to give up their freedom and suffer as slaves to the Athenians. The latter responded by saying that they don’t care if they make more enemies among the neutrals. Their main concern was the threat the Melians had given them and they would like to end it by making Melos their colony. In that case, both Athens and Melos would have been spared harm against subject states that the Athenians presumed could rise up against them.
The Melians saw the Athenians speaking only for their own benefit of wanting to be the owners of the former. Therefore, the Melians asked the Athenians how they would be interested in being their slaves. The Athenians reiterated that the Melians should understand and reflect that preservation would be at hand once they give in. The Athenians advised them to ponder whether to resist or submit to a powerful empire whose subjects never tried to leave a site. The refusal of the Melians to yield to the Athenians weakened them, in addition to the blind hopes and trust placed in their Lacedaemonian ally.
The Melians debated that they were satisfied even if their power was insufficient, as they should always be assisted by Sparta. They said that Lacedaemonians should never be disloyal because they were their allies. His decision to refuse to give in and give up his freedom remained unchanged. The Athenians were disappointed to hear that although throughout the discussion the Melians’ main concern was the preservation of their city, they never said anything that was reasonable enough to preserve their freedom. They continually insisted on the reasons for their hopes and confidence in the Lacedaemonians, whose power was not as good as that offered to them.
The Athenians said that there could never be anything greater than surrendering to a great empire, inviting them to be their colony on reasonable terms, simply by paying tribute. The Melians should face the consequences of their resolve and should be a great ruin for giving their trust to the Lacedaemonians, whom the Athenians viewed as inconsistent. In the end, because the Melians insisted on being neutral and in favor of Sparta, the Athenians declared war on them. All the male citizens of Melos were killed and the women and children were enslaved.
The realistic view on bipolarity, particularly the narrow bipolar system, could be associated with Melian’s debate. According to this system, there are two opposing sides in a conflict. There is no neutral mediator acceptable to both parties to the conflict, which makes it very unstable. Athens and Sparta were the two opposing parties in the debate. There was no mediator present. In the Tight Bipolar system, neutrality is prohibited.
Non-allied countries are frowned upon. The neutrality of the Melians was not allowed, therefore, irritating Sparta and seeing the need for the Melians to take sides. A deadlock agreement was evident in which an attack on one member would mean an attack on all other allies. Therefore, once the Melians were confident enough to give in to the strength of the Athenians, as once they were attacked, their deficiency in power would have been enough for their Lacedaemonian ally whom they believed should always be of help. and defense for them once they encountered external attacks.