“The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.”Tucidide · Istoria războiului peloponesiac · -400 · V, 89
Power acts according to its will, while weakness suffers out of necessity.
Thucydides formulates a realist law of international politics: strong states impose their will, and weak ones have no choice but to submit. In the Melian dialogue, Athenians state clearly that justice matters only among equals. For example, a great power invades a small country, which can only plead for help.
Why it matters This quote is useful for understanding real power dynamics, whether in geopolitics or organizations.