So what did the meritocratic and democratic Athenians do when the Melians politely asked not to participate in the fight?

那么，当美丽安人礼貌地要求不要参战时，贤能民主的雅典人做了什么？

So in one of the most famous passages of Thucydides’ history of the Peloponnesian War, the Athenians sailed to the island of Melos, a Spartan colony, and demanded that the Melians submit to Athenian rule.

于是在修昔底德笔下伯罗奔尼撒战争史上最著名的一段话中，雅典人航行到斯巴达殖民地梅洛斯岛，要求梅利斯人服从雅典人的统治。