Last weekend, I was listening to one of my favourite (France Inter) radio shows, Quand les dieux rôdaient sur la Terre (when gods roamed the Earth), and the story was about the siege of the tiny island of Melos by the Athenians and the subsequent massacre, based on the report given in Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War and in particular the Melian Dialogue. I was unaware of this episode, but the modern tone of the dialogue excerpts was striking and made me think they equally applied to modern leaders… To wit,
“The strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.” — Melian Dialogue, Book V
“Most people, in fact, will not take the trouble in finding out the truth, but are much more inclined to accept the first story they hear.” — Book I, §20
“Men naturally despise those who court them, but respect those who do not give way to them.” — Book III, Cleon’s speech
“It is a common mistake in going to war to begin at the wrong end — to act first, and wait for disaster to find out what to do.” — Book I, §78
“Words had to change their ordinary meaning and to take that which was now given them. Reckless audacity came to be considered the courage of a loyal ally; prudent hesitation, specious cowardice.” — Book III, §8
