In this paper, I decided to try to crack open Realpolitik theory and pull some semblance of morality out of it. It turned out to be a much, much harder task than I anticipated, and left me with many more questions than answers.

For people unfamiliar with the geography of the Peloponnesian War, the below image¹ will help give an understanding of the size of Athens and Melos:

I gave this paper to the Wednesday group on 8th November, 2023.

1. https://www.counterpunch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/1920px-Melos_Sparta_and_Athens_416_BCE.svg-1536×954.png ↩︎