siege of Melos
E846377
The siege of Melos was an episode in the Peloponnesian War in 416–415 BCE in which Athens besieged, conquered, and brutally subjugated the neutral island of Melos, later immortalized as a stark example of realpolitik and imperialism in Thucydides’ history.
All labels observed (1)
| Label | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| siege of Melos canonical | 1 |
Statements (49)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
event in the Peloponnesian War
ⓘ
military siege ⓘ |
| aftermath |
Athenian settlement of colonists on Melos
ⓘ
enslavement of Melian women and children ⓘ execution of Melian adult men ⓘ |
| belligerent |
Athenian Empire
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
city-state of Melos ⓘ |
| cause |
Athenian attempt to punish Melian neutrality
ⓘ
Athenian desire to secure control of the Aegean ⓘ Athenian fear of Spartan influence on Melos ⓘ |
| characterizedAs |
example of Athenian imperialism
ⓘ
example of might makes right doctrine ⓘ example of realpolitik ⓘ |
| conflict | Peloponnesian War NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| context | Athenian attempt to deter other subject allies from revolt ⓘ |
| describedBy | Thucydides NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| describedBySource | History of the Peloponnesian War NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| endTime | 415 BCE ⓘ |
| followedBy | Athenian colonization of Melos NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasPart |
Athenian land operations on Melos
ⓘ
Athenian naval blockade of Melos NERFINISHED ⓘ Melian Dialogue NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| historicalReputation | symbol of ruthless imperial power ⓘ |
| location |
Aegean Sea
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Cyclades NERFINISHED ⓘ Melos NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| narrativeElement | Melian Dialogue NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| notableFor |
harsh treatment of defeated population
ⓘ
philosophical discussion of power and morality ⓘ use as case study in international relations theory ⓘ |
| opponent | Spartan-aligned Melian elite ⓘ |
| participant |
Athens
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Melians NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| partOf |
Athenian expansion in the Aegean
ⓘ
Athenian imperial policy ⓘ |
| precededBy | Athenian demand for Melian submission ⓘ |
| result |
Athenian victory
ⓘ
conquest of Melos by Athens ⓘ subjugation of Melos ⓘ |
| startTime | 416 BCE ⓘ |
| studiedIn |
classical studies
ⓘ
international relations ⓘ political philosophy ⓘ |
| theme |
justice versus expediency
ⓘ
neutrality in war ⓘ power politics ⓘ |
| timePeriod | Classical Greece NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| year |
415 BCE
ⓘ
416 BCE ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.