Justifying Empire: The Speech of the Athenians at Sparta and the Problem of Justice in Thucydides

Abstract

The speech of the Athenians at Sparta in Book One of Thucydides is one of the major statements on imperialism in the work. So powerful is it that it is widely taken to present Thucydides' own views on the subject. In fact, however, it does not answer but rather poses the question of imperialism. The Athenians, arguing from a position of strength and intending to impress this on the Spartans, offer a defense of their empire astonishing for its boldness and candor. In so doing they raise a host of questions about the role of justice between societies and even within them. By stretching the notion of justice to the limit, they cannot help but shed light on some of the limits of justice.

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