He praises the double advantage of the Athenian system, which is that it prevents hardships in peacetime but produces a citizenry equally as capable of facing hardship in war as the Spartans. Literary Context: How Pericles Compares with Other Shakespeare Plays, William Shakespeare Biography & Background on Pericles. After the dead had been buried in a public grave, one of the leading citizens, chosen by the city, would offer a suitable speech, and on this occasion Pericles was chosen. However, as he . Martha Taylor argues that Thucydides subtly critiques Pericles' vision of Athens as a city divorced from the territory of Attica and focused, instead, . "Before I pass on to the praise of the dead, I should like to point out by what principles of action Athens rose to power, and under what institutions and through what manner of life we reached greatness. There, far from exercising a jealous surveillance over each other, we do not feel called upon to be angry with our neighbour for doing what he likes"[15] These lines form the roots of the famous phrase "equal justice under law." Sparta would destroy the Athenian navy and blockade the city, starving the Athenians, who eventually surrendered.). Pericles Funeral Oration The speech, "Funeral Oration", was a eulogy written in the winter of 431-430 B.C.E. The bodies of the dead were cremated soon after death. Leading up to this oration, the people of Athens, including those from the countryside whose land was being pillaged by their enemies, were kept in crowded conditions within the walls of Athens. Editor's note: Every year, the ancient . Pericles extolls several of the virtues of Athens, most of them centered on the then-unique form of democracy. March 4, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 He hopes that love of Athens will motivate Athenians to perform acts of courage in future battles and struggles. Pericles's argument is that Athens's civic and democratic virtues are a source of strength and that the soldiers were fighting for their society's democratic ideals. Pericles' Funeral Oration stands as the grand exemplar of epideictic oratory, specifically the form of epideictic known to the Greeks as epitaphios logos, and to us as a eulogy. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Funeral-Oration/. Significantly he begins recounting the speech by saying: " ", i.e. Web. Summary. Pericles explains that his detailed discussion of Athens's merit serves not only to praise Athens but also to honor the war dead. He is successful, but discovers that its answer reveals the incestuous relationship between father and daughter. Pericles' Funeral Oration. To help make his point he stated that the soldiers whom he was speaking of gave their lives to a cause to protect the city of Athens, and its freedom. It's an excerpt from the funeral oration of Pericles, as written by Thucydides. Public Domain In 431 BCE, the Athenian statesman Pericles delivered one of the most influential speeches of all time, "Pericles' Epitaphios," otherwise known as "Pericles' Funeral Oration." Then a funeral procession was held, with ten cypress coffins carrying the remains, one for each of the Athenian tribes, and another left symbolically empty for the missing or those whose remains were unable to be recovered. The funeral oration was a customary event that provided the state with the opportunity to remember and honour its citizens who had died in battle during that year. 18 July 2019. Pericles used his speech to try to argue for Athens's values and form of government and to persuade Athenians to stay strong and continue fighting. [20] He praised Athens for its attributes that stood out amongst their neighbours such as its democracy when he elaborates that trust is justly placed on the citizens rather than relying only on the system and the policy of the city. "Plato's Opposition to the Veneration of Pericles". Pericles delivered the oration not only to bury the dead but to praise democracy. This had given Athens a great deal of control over the economies of its allies. Again, this is in sharp contrast to Sparta, where hardship and discipline were paramount. In the following speech, Pericles made these points about democracy: Baird, Forrest E., editor. Marina is brought to the ship, and she tells Pericles that her own sufferings must match his. Prior to the plague's devastation, Athenians were already dying as a result of the war. 1, Routledge, 2016. Course Hero. It is also a crucial moment in Thucydides' historical account of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta, as it marks the transition from the first . TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. ATTENTION: Help us feed and clothe children with your old homework! Pericles celebrates the fact that Athenians have access to imported goods and are thus able to "enjoy the fruits of the whole world." The Athenians would go on to lose the war with Sparta. In 431 BCE, at the end of the first year of the Peloponnesian War, held their traditional public funeral for all those who had been killed. Pericles "Funeral Oration" was given in 431 BC after the end of the first year of the Peloponnesian War. Athenians not only enjoy equality before the law; they are also equal when it comes to opportunity. In a democracy, citizens behave lawfully while doing what they like without fear of prying eyes. It seemed to them a worthy thing that such an honor should be given at their burial to the dead who have fallen on the field of battle. He reflects on how giving too much praise might cause listeners to feel envious or upset, knowing that they could not live up to the example of the soldiers. She has been featured by NPR and National Geographic for her ancient history expertise. $24.99 He further says that democracy guarantees privacy and equal justice for all. The Parthenon, a great temple built under Perikles' supervision in the fifth century B.C., represented the virtues the politician celebrated in his "Funeral Oration." Since it was dedicated to the goddess Athena, the temple symbolized Athenian wealth, power, greatness, and elevated culture. Like "A man who has the knowledge but lacks the power to express it is no better off than if he never had any ideas at all." Pericles 4 likes. That if anyone should ask, they should look at their final moments when they gave their lives to their country and that should leave no doubt in the mind of the doubtful. Thucydides fervently supported Periclesbut was less enthusiastic about the institution of democracy. for a customized plan. Pericles ends with a short epilogue, reminding the audience of the difficulty of the task of speaking over the dead. There are several different English translations of the speech available. In Pericles' Funeral Oration, Pericles' praises the dead, describes how great Athens is, explains why Athens must continue to support the war, and tells why Athens must live up to the fallen soldiers of the Peloponnesian war. Volume 8 - 2008-2009 74 the myth of Athens, is frequently studied in isolation from the other speeches of Pericles. The goal that Pericles achieved through this speech was to make the people feel proud to be Athenians. Near the start of the Peloponnesian War, a plague swept the city. Further discussing the difficulty faced by a speaker whose task is to honor the dead, Pericles states that no matter what he says in his speech, someone will be unhappy. Pericles's speech praising those who died for democracy influenced later speechwriters, including President Abraham Lincoln (18091865), whose Gettysburg Address (1863) contains many parallels to Pericles's text. Pericles Gives the Funeral Speech (Perikles hlt die Leichenrede), by painter Philipp von Foltz (1852) . 2023. Pericles, a great supporter of democracy, was a Greek leader and statesman during the Peloponnesian War. Several funeral orations from classical Athens are extant, which seem to corroborate Thucydides' assertion that this was a regular feature of Athenian funerary custom in wartime. "Funeral Oration Study Guide." Democracy allows men to advance because of merit rather than wealth or inherited class. John Gardener's Grendel: Summary & Analysis, Pericles Funeral Oration Analysis: Athenian. Pericles argues that Athens's greatness stems from its openness, freedom, democracy, military excellence, and the civic and moral strength of its citizenry. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/pericles-funeral-oration-thucydides-version-111998. I quite agree that he 'praises the dead not by celebrating their exploits (which . 29, 2021, thoughtco.com/pericles-funeral-oration-thucydides-version-111998. 1.22.1. Want 100 or more? Pericles concludes his speech by encouraging his listeners to choose virtuous behavior in the days ahead. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. 399 BCE): Pericles's Funeral Oration from the Peloponnesian War (Book 2.3446)", "What new music are you singing these days? . Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Meanwhile in Tyre, Helicanus reveals that Antiochus and his daughter have been burnt to death by fire from heaven, so Pericles can return. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. He praises their willingness to fight, saying they were not weakened by wealth and that they did not hesitate to give up the pleasures of life. For example, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, which many compare to Pericles' oration, was merely the warm-up act for Edward Everett's two-hour speech on Pericles and the current political moment. Quote Analysis: The unexamined life is not worth living, Treaty of Versailles: How America, France & Britain Benefited, The Scarlet Letter: Analysis, Summary, Themes, The 1968 Tet Offensive: Summary & Analysis, The Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Refractive Indices of Water and Oil: Lab Explained, Hitlers Consolidation of Power: The Night of Long Knives. However, in his book The Humanity of Thucydides, Clifford Orwin argues that Pericles' final speech, delivered during the plague, constitutes Pericles' true funeral oration because the plague The style is deliberately elaborate, in accord with the stylistic preference associated with the sophists. Funeral Oration Pericles was a famous Greek general. In honoring the dead soldiers, Pericles states that their heroism overshadows any faults they may have had as individuals. Some fishermen tell him about king Simonides's daughter, a lovely girl who will be married to whoever wins a jousting contest the following day. ThoughtCo, Jul. Pericles notes that he has paid the required tribute, as the law requires, by honoring the dead with his words. Indeed, Pericles argues, Athenians are just as strong militarily as the Spartans, while they also have a superior lifestyle. Janet Lloyd), Pericles of Athens (Princeton University Press, 2014) Madeleine M. Henry, Prisoner of History: Aspasia of Miletus and Her Biographical Tradition . Athens used its strong navy to establish an empire, gaining influence and power over many smaller Greek city-states. Pericles's praise of Athens also serves to compare it favorably with Sparta and to criticize Sparta's values, lifestyle, and form of government. Pericles then continues to his central theme, extolling the uniqueness and virtue of Athens and its system of government: democracy. He had rivals and enemies, and his policies and actions were sometimes criticized, although in general he enjoyed the widespread support of Athenians. Pericles, Prince of Tyre, tries his hand at the riddle. Pericles' Funeral Oration Analysis: Athenian This piece is a funeral oratory, a speech written to honor fallen Athenian heroes at the end of the first year of the Peloponnesian War. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Athens's friends and allies in the struggle with Sparta were really subjects of the Athenian empire. ABSTRACT. Antiochus sends an assassin after him. Building on Charles Kahn's seminal article of 1963, the authors hold that Socrates' speech was intended specifically to improve upon Pericles' funeral oration, as reported in Thucydides'History of the Peloponnesian War. Pericles gave his oration, or ceremonial speech, about 431 BCE. Course Hero. Course Hero. In Western culture, Pericles's oration is a model for speeches commemorating and honoring war dead. For instance, long working hours in Yorkshire and Lancashire factories caused wide- spread dissatisfaction among textile workers.
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