The Melians said that they were not cowards and that brave men fought for freedom and hated slavery, to which the Athenians replied that it was not a case of honor but of prudence, and that the Melians had best understand that might makes right, and Athens is mighty.
The Melians then argued that the fortunes of war are sometimes governed by the gods, and that as free people who had done no wrong they were in the right and the Athenians, though mighty, were in the wrong. And perhaps the Spartans from Sparta might help them. To which the Athenians replied that the Melians might look to heaven for help or they might look to Sparta for help, but no help was coming from either place.
After some more talk to no avail, the Athenians assured the Melians that their cause was hopeless. So the Athenians left the Melians that they might decide their own fate.
The Melians met and decided and then told the Athenians that they chose to die as free men fighting for their freedom.
So the Athenians built a wall around the city of Melos, provisioned it, set up a naval blockade, and proceeded to starve the Melians into submission. The Athenian troops and the Melians fought small fights throughout that summer. In the following winter, some of the Melian citizens betrayed their little island, and the Athenians attacked in overwhelming force. The Melians surrendered; they had no choice. The Athenians killed all Melian men and boys who were old enough to fight, and they made slaves of all the women and children.
Thus was justice served.
