In 416 BCE, Athens was in a prolonged struggle with Sparta – its main rival. For many years, Athens benefited from alliances with smaller polities that were part of the Delian League. By 416 BCE, the Delian League had existed for almost seventy years, which, compared to the modern NATO, could be considered a long and successful example of mutual defense.
It was then that Athens regarded the Mediterranean island of Melos as key to its strategic position. Melos did not have its own army, but located at the crossroads of sea routes that helped protect Athenian influence and project its power. Although the island claimed neutrality, Athens already considered this insufficient.
“You know as well as we do that right, as the world is arranged, is only a matter between equals in power – the strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.”
– Thucydides
The Conquest of Melos and the Fall of the Empire
After this, Athens captured Melos – using force contrary to their traditions and to what their consensual alliances had built over decades. Later these alliances weakened, because Athens increasingly relied on coercion rather than persuasion to gain support. Over the decades, Athens suffered defeats, and the empire collapsed.
This story of Melos and the fall of the Athenian empire was told by the ancient Greek historian Thucydides. His Melian Dialogue describes the interaction between the island and Athens along with the well-known phrase about world politics. The eternal lesson lies not only in strength, but precisely in the risks of using force to destroy alliances.
Trump’s Greenland Dialogue and Contemporary Geopolitics
In a recent CNN interview with Stephen Miller, senior adviser to President Donald Trump, a parallel was drawn with Thucydides’ story about the logic of the United States regarding Greenland.
“You can talk as much as you want about international etiquette and all the other subtleties. But we live in the real world, Jake, where force rules, where hard laws prevail – these iron laws of the world have existed since time began.”
– Stephen Miller
Miller emphasizes that power and its projection remain an integral part of global politics. It is also worth noting that today the United States remains one of the most powerful countries in military might, economic resilience, and an entrepreneurial system that drives global innovation. But this power can be aligned through mutual coalitions, rather than through unilateral assertiveness.
As for Greenland, today’s situation underscores that strategic interests focus on coalitions and joint commitments, not on a single country or island agreement. In the future, the Arctic could become a hub of global trade: new routes and opportunities to access resources require a stable architecture of alliances, particularly within NATO, to ensure security and transparent rules of interaction among partner nations.
The history of Melos and the modern rhetoric about Greenland emphasize that a strong foreign policy is built on long-term mutual obligations and consensus among allies, not on the power of one state. Given climate change and global competition, preserving and strengthening coalitions such as NATO is key to stability and security in the Arctic region.