In the Melian Dialogue, the Athenian envoys argue that considerations of justice have practical force mainly when opposing sides possess comparable power. When power is highly unequal, they claim, the stronger party can impose its demands while the weaker party has limited ability to resist. The passage therefore presents a stark account of the relationship between power, justice and political necessity.

The statement arises during negotiations between Athens and the island of Melos, which Athens sought to bring under its control during the Peloponnesian War. The Athenians urge the Melians to judge their position according to power and survival rather than appeals to fairness or principle.

The passage is often associated with later ideas of power politics and political realism. However, it is presented as the argument of the Athenian envoys within Thucydides’ narrative, rather than as an unqualified statement of Thucydides’ own political beliefs.

Full quotation

“Right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.”