s to serve as for
you to rule?

Athenians. Because you would have the advantage of submitting before
suffering the worst, and we should gain by not destroying you.

Melians. So that you would not consent to our being neutral, friends
instead of enemies, but allies of neither side.

Athenians. No; for your hostility cannot so much hurt us as your
friendship will be an argument to our subjects of our weakness, and your
enmity of our power.

Melians. Is that your subjects' idea of equity, to put those who have
nothing to do with you in the same category with peoples that are most
of them your own colonists, and some conquered rebels?

Athenians. As far as right goes they think one has as much of it as the
other, and that if any maintain their independence it is because they
are strong, and that if we do not molest them it is because we are
afraid; so that besides extending our empire we should gain in security
by your subjection; the fact that you are islanders and weaker than
others rendering it all the more important that you should not succeed
in baffling the masters of the sea.

Melians. But do you consider that there is no security in the policy
which we indicate? For here again if you debar us from talking about
justice and invite us to obey your interest, we also must explain ours,
and try to persuade you, if the two happen to coincide. How can you
avoid making enemies of all existing neutrals who shall look at case
from it that one day or another you will attack them? And what is this
but to make greater the enemies that you have already, and to force
others to become so who would otherwise have never thought of it?

Athenians. Why, the fact is that continentals generally give us but
little alarm; the liberty which they enjoy will long prevent their
taking precautions against us; it is rather islanders like yourselves,
outside our empire, and subjects smarting under the yoke, who would
be the most likely to take a rash step and lead themselves and us into
obvious danger.

Melians. Well then, if you risk so much to retain your empire, and your
subjects to get rid of it, it were surely great baseness and cowardice
in us who are still free not to try everything that can be tried, before
submitting to your yoke.

Athenians. Not if you are well advised, the contest not being an equal
one, with honour as the prize and shame as the penalty, but a question
of self-preservation and of not resisting those who are