hstry

Athens takes Melos and kills its men

416 BCE, Melos. An event.

Where and when

416 BCEMelos

2,441 years ago

Explore
3000 BCE2900 BCE2800 BCE2700 BCE2600 BCE2500 BCE2400 BCE2300 BCE2200 BCE2100 BCE2000 BCE1900 BCE1800 BCE1700 BCE1600 BCE1500 BCE1400 BCE1300 BCE1200 BCE1100 BCE1000 BCE900 BCE800 BCE700 BCE600 BCE500 BCE400 BCE300 BCE200 BCE100 BCE1 CE100 CE200 CE300 CE400 CE500 CE600 CE700 CE800 CE900 CE1000 CE1100 CE1200 CE1300 CE1400 CE1500 CE1600 CE1700 CE1800 CE1900 CE2000 CEGreat Pyramid of Giza built, c. 2600 BCERome founded (traditional date), 753 BCELast western Roman emperor deposed, 476 CEGutenberg's printing press, c. 1440 CEColumbus reaches the Americas, 1492 CEFirst people on the Moon, 1969 CEToday, 2026

Swipe the line. Bars: entries. Dots: events.

, Melos

The neutral island of Melos refuses to join Athens. After a siege it surrenders; the Athenians kill the men and sell the women and children as slaves.

the Melians surrendered at discretion to the Athenians, who put to death all the grown men whom they took, and sold the women and children for slaves

Thucydides 5.116.3–4Translated by Richard Crawley (1874)Read the full passage (Thucydides 5.116.3–4, opens scaife.perseus.org)

Background: Siege of Melos, Wikipedia (opens en.wikipedia.org)

Why it matters

The siege is best remembered for the Melian Dialogue, Thucydides' dramatized version of the talks before it. Its line that the strong do what they can is taken as an appeal to power over justice.

Based on Wikipedia: Siege of Melos

This siege is best remembered for the Melian Dialogue, a dramatization of the negotiations between the Athenians and the Melians before the siege, written by the classical Athenian historian Thucydides.

In particular, the quotation "the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must" is taken as an appeal to political power as opposed to justice.

Wikipedia, Siege of Melos (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-08-10. Text CC BY-SA 4.0. Our line is checked against these sentences only.

Related moments

In time order, with this one in its place. Each says why it is here.

  1. 421 BCE5 years earlier The Peace of Nicias Same years
  2. 416 BCEThis momentAthens takes Melos and kills its men
  3. 416 BCE, written laterSame year The Athenian envoys to Melos on power Rests on this eventAlso in Melos
  4. 416 BCE, written laterSame year Athenian envoys to Melos on the strong and weak Rests on this eventAlso in MelosAlso about war and empire
  5. set in 416 BCESame year Socrates on Love as the best helper Same years
  6. 415 BCE0.8999999999999773 years later Statues of Hermes are smashed across Athens Same years
  7. 415 BCE1 year later The great fleet sails for Sicily Also about war and empire
  8. 413 BCE3 years later The Athenian army is destroyed in Sicily Same years

See it among its momentsSee it in the feedExplore by place and time