Background

In this section, you will read the so-called Melian Dialogue episode, one of the most famous sections of Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides was a Greek historian and general who lived from c. 460 to 400 BCE. His History of the Peloponnesian War chronicles the conflict between Athens and Sparta that lasted from 431 to 404 BCE. Thucydides wrote the book after being was exiled from Athens after he failed to defend the city against Sparta's forces. He began the book during his exile.

Historians often point to The History of the Peloponnesian War as a landmark text in historical method and narrative. According to Thucydides, the information in the book comes from both his own first-hand observations and interviews with people who had seen the events he describes. In this way, it differs from the previous four mythological texts, but it nevertheless engages with similar philosophical themes.

Key sections of the book are in the form of dialogues, a rhetorical technique widely used in ancient Greece. While readers shouldn’t imagine that these dialogues are word-for-word transcriptions of what took place, Thucydides suggests that the dialogues represent the spirit of the event.

In the Melian Dialogue, Thucydides recounts a conversation between representatives of Athens and the island of Melos during the Peloponnesian War. The Athenians, who have conquered most of the surrounding islands, demand that the Melians submit to their rule or face destruction. The Melians, who are neutral in the conflict between Athens and Sparta, argue that they should be allowed to remain independent. The Athenians respond with arguments about the natural order of power, saying that the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.

Questions

What are the primary arguments of the Athenians? What are the primary arguments of the Melians?
In what ways does Thucydides explore the relationship between justice and morality in the dialogue?
If one makes the argument, like the Athenians, that the ends justify the means, what are the implications for the concept of justice?
What do you think Thucydides is trying to get readers to understand about the relationship of power, morality, and the experience of war?

Assignment

As you read this text, take notes on a piece of paper with the questions above in mind. Try to answer them using bullet points. With your responses in mind, we are going to annotate the text collaboratively.

To add annotations, you will need to have an account with Hypothes.is. You should have already set up your account, but if not, go back to the details on how to use Hypothes.is for directions.

The purpose of the annotations are to learn from each other. When thinking about what you are adding, consider how it might move a conversation forward, or help explicate something. The best answers are likely to both clarify something and open up the conversation to move in new directions.

In order to receive credit for completing this assignment in the module, you should complete a minimum of two of the following:

Annotate a sentence of the text with a thoughtful response by explaining what the sentence might mean and/or how it might help answer one of the five questions above. In answering the question, you should think about meaning-making and how the text is getting us to think in complex ways.
Add to the five questions above by highlighting a section of the text and asking a new, thought-provoking question. Thought-provoking questions are rarely who, what, when, where, or how questions. Likewise, they are rarely yes or no questions. Rather, they encourage us to pause and think about complexity and nuance.
Respond to a comment, answer, or question posed by a fellow participant with a thoughtful reflection or response that helps move the conversation forward.
Add a substantive note that explains a who, what, when, where, or how. This is especially useful when there are names, things, or places mentioned in the text for whom readers do not have context or background.

There are no specific guidelines for annotations, but pay attention to the suggestions above. Think of your annotation as your participation in a conversation. A good annotation is likely to open up more conversation rather than shut down conversation. For example, writing a response such as, “I agree” is perfectly fine, but if you don’t add something more, the conversation comes to a close.

Reading

You can find the reading here. Remember that you need to login to Hypothes.is to make comments.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRmqMNLicTye9reYaqTktKUeqsC3hhtFwGa_Eb21ba3ddn3LwNVae9_21ia4l9gxCiVXzUkBKs2_FTB/pub