The 48 Laws Of Power

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"

LLONARDQDAVINCI.

14324519

164 LAW

22

TRANSGRESSIONOFTHELAW

The

islandofMelosis

strategically

situatedintheheartoftheMediter-

ranean.Inclassical

times,

the

city

ofAthensdominatedtheseaandcoastal

areasaround

Greece,

but

Sparta,

inthe

Peloponnese,

hadbeenMel0s’s

original

colonizer.

During

the

Peloponnesian

War,then,

theMeliansre-

fusedto

ally

themselveswithAthensandremained

loyal

toMother

Sparta.

In 416 B.C.theAthenianssentan

expedition

against

Melos,Beforelaunch-

ing

anall—out

attack,however,

they

dispatched

a

delegation

to

persuade

the

Melianstosurrenderandbecomean

ally

ratherthansufferdevastationand

defeat.

“Youknowaswellaswe

do,”

the

delegates

said,

“thatthestandardof

justicedepends

onthe

equality

of

power

to

compel,

andthatinfactthe

strong

dowhat

they

havethe

power

todoandtheweak

accept

what

they

haveto

accept.”

WhentheMelians

responded

thatthisdeniedthenotion

offair

play,

theAthenians

said

that

those

in

power

determinedwhatwas

fairandwhat

was

not.TheMelians

argued

thatthis

authoritybelonged

to

the

gods,

nottomortals,“Our

opinion

ofthe

gods

andour

knowledge

of

men,”

replied

amemberoftheAthenian

delegation,

“leadustoconclude

thatitisa

general

and

necessary

lawofnaturetorulewhateveronecan.”

TheMelianswouldnot

budge.Sparta,they

insisted,

would

come

to

theirdefense.TheAthenians counteredthatthe

Spartans

wereaconserva-

tive,

practicalpeople,

andwouldnot

help

Melosbecause

they

had

nothing

to

gain

andalottolose

by

doing

so.

Finally

theMelians

began

totalkofhonorandthe

principle

of

resisting

bruteforce.“Donotbeled

astrayby

a

falsesenseof

honor,”

saidtheAthe-

nians.

“Honor

often

brings

men

toruin

when

they

arefacedwith

an

obvi-

ous

danger

thatsomehowaffectstheir

pride.

Thereis

nothingdisgraceful

in

givingway

tothe

greatestcity

inHellaswhensheis

offeringyou

suchrea-

sonableterms.”Thedebate ended.TheMeliansdiscussedthe

issue

among

themselves,

anddecidedtotrustintheaidofthe

Spartans,

thewillofthe

gods,

andthe

tightness

oftheircause.

Theypolitely

declinedtheAthenians’

offer.

Afew

days

latertheAtheniansinvadedMelos.TheMelians

fought

nobly,

evenwithoutthe

Spartans,

whodidnotcometotheirrescue.Ittook

several

attempts

beforetheAthenianscouldsurroundand

besiege

their

main

city,

buttheMelians

finally

surrendered.TheAthenianswastedno

tirne—theyput

todeathallthemenof

militaryage

that

they

could

capture,

they

soldthewomenandchildrenas

slaves,

and

theyre.-populated

theis

landwiththeirowncolonists.

Only

ahandfulofMelianssurvived.

Interpretation

TheAthenianswereoneofthemost

eminentlypracticalpeople

in

history,

and

they

madethemost

practicalargumentthey

couldwiththeMelians:

When

you

are

weaker,

thereis

nothing

tobe

gainedbyfighting

auseless

fight.

Noonecomesto

help

the

weak—bydoing

so

they

would

onlyput

themselvesin

jeopardy.

Theweakarealoneandmustsubmit.

Fighting