1. Home page
  2. Search

Does the Melian Dialogue serve as an emphatic continuation of Pericles’ imperialist policy?

This item is provided by the institution :
Political Philosophy Research Laboratory, NKUA   

Repository :
Public Realm. Postgraduate and Early Career Journal of Political Philosophy  | ΕΚΤ eJournals   

see the original item page
in the repository's web site and access all digital files if the item*



Does the Melian Dialogue serve as an emphatic continuation of Pericles’ imperialist policy? (EN)
Anastasopoulos, Stavros
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Peer-reviewed Article (EN)
2025-04-21
This article is divided into two parts: in the first part I undertake the weighty task of interpreting the Melian Dialogue – the widely known conversation between the Athenians and the Melians, which took place in 416 B.C. – and then I shed light on the immorality that characterizes the views expressed by the Athenians. Athens seeks to conquer Melos by force, basing its decision on the necessity of Athenian hegemony to constantly expand its territorial borders. The second part of this paper examines the three speeches of Pericles – propounded by Thucydides – and attempts to prove that the Melian Dialogue acts as a faithful continuation of Pericles’ imperialistic orations. In this way, it becomes evident that the Melian Dialogue is not just a circumstantial event, caused by the pain and suffering of the Peloponnesian War, but represents as well a carefully considered expansionist policy put into practice by the Athenians throughout the years. (EN)
Pericles (EN)
Thucydides (EN)
Melian Dialogue (EN)
Peloponnesian War (EN)
Athenian Imperialism (EN)
Athenian Democracy (EN)
English
Laboratoire de recherche en philosophie politique (EN)
Public Realm. Postgraduate and Early Career Journal of Political Philosophy; Vol. 2 (2025): Public Realm; 67-85 (EN)
Public Realm. Postgraduate and Early Career Journal of Political Philosophy; Vol. 2 (2025): Public Realm; 67-85 (FR)
Copyright (c) 2025 Stavros Anastasopoulos (EN)
Political Philosophy Research Laboratory, NKUA
Public Realm. Postgraduate and Early Career Journal of Political Philosophy
Articles



*Institutions are responsible for keeping their URLs functional (digital file, item page in repository site)