The Strong Will Suffer What They Must – “The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must” is often invoked as timeless wisdom about power politics and a corrective to liberal delusions. However, Athens lost the war and its empire was dissolved, in large part due to the imperial hubris

Maybe, but its important to keep in mind that Melos was destroyed, its population enslaved, and the “Melos” that was re-created after the war was a Spartan colony that had no real Melian identity

Just because it bites the strong powers in the end doesn’t mean that the weaker powers can’t have unimaginable suffering inflicted upon them

My opinion is that as cowardly as it is, hide your strength and bide your time is better for minor powers. Melos that paid tribute to Athens would have not changed the outcome of the war, but it would have still existed in the end