PAUSE FOR THOUGHT
Mark Greenstock, Former Teacher of Classical History and Languages
I
n 416 BC(E) the independent Aegean island of Melos was surrounded by superior Athenian forces and ruthlessly subjugated. This offers a significant parallel with the situation playing itself out between Russia and Ukraine. The Greek historian Thucydides prefaces the fall of the island with a classic piece of political philosophy, the ‘Melian Dialogue’, in which the Athenians argue that since they possess overwhelming force, they have the authority to dictate the course of events, and it would be in the Melians’ best interests to surrender without resistance. The Melians respond to that on the divine level – right is on their side, and on the human level – Sparta is bound to send resources to help them. In the final analysis, despite a few Melian successes, Sparta sent no help, the island was starved into surrender, all males of fighting age were put to death and the women and children sold into slavery. This brutality resonated throughout subsequent Greek history as an extreme example of the evils of imperialism. Today the Athenians’ line of reasoning would be considered Machiavellian. If I hold overwhelming power, I have a right to conduct national and international policy according to my own interests. Machiavelli’s ‘Prince’ was concerned for stable government rather than the anarchy that had plagued Italy for decades. Thus he states, ‘One may use evil means to a good end, if only one’s ultimate aim is control.’ So what principles lie behind President Putin’s decision to invade the Ukraine? According to a recent article in Europe Now, ‘Putin is the Machiavellian leader par excellence’. Such a personality has three chief traits: ‘Manipulative ability, callousness and indifference to morality.’ ‘Virtue’ is seen as adeptness in achieving your ends. ‘Truth’ is what you want your subjects to believe at any given time. Such a leader may even use religion as a cloak for his realpolitik – witness the close alliance between the President and the Russian Orthodox Church. He may be, or may become, crazed; but his actions pursue the logical end of total control. The Melian Dialogue is peppered with words like ‘might’, ‘right’, ‘slavery’, ‘freedom’, ‘rule’ and ‘subjects’. These are buzzwords in the New Testament as well. Some have maintained that the Christian God is imperialist and even Machiavellian. But here there are other keywords such as ‘love’, ‘mercy’, ‘grace’ and ‘eternal life’. The festival of Easter has come and gone, and groups will soon be setting out to Oberammergau for the ten-yearly celebration of the famous Passion Play (delayed for two years by the pandemic). We were among those who saw the play in 2010. The manipulation by the religious leaders, the injustice of the trial proceedings, the fickleness of the crowds, the inhuman tortures meted out to Jesus Christ, his crucifixion and astonishing resurrection, were all vividly portrayed in an unforgettable spectacle involving 2,000 actors. To argue that Christ’s sacrifice was ordained by a callous and immoral God would appear farfetched. The emphasis was on the freely willed self-offering of a life dedicated to the benefit of mankind, even at the cost of immense personal suffering and misunderstanding. There could be no starker contrast with the principles underlying the Russian invasion of the Ukraine.
146 | Sherborne Times | May 2022
