Pericles’ Funeral Oration was a significant timestamp in 5th century Greece, Athens and to the Classical World. In the Funeral Oration, he discusses subjects such as the superiority of the Athenian compared to other civilisations. Pericles also expresses his views on the reputation of Athens while undermining Homer, and emphasizes his view on the role of the wives of fallen soldiers in the first year of the Peloponnesian war. The first recording known in history of his speech was written by Thucydides
valued their warrior class, and they saw the warriors as a ring of the higher circle of the society. The Athenians were very proud of Athena and its traditions, as well. Athenian’s thought that Athena was the best, none could be better. The funeral oration was aimed to respect the fallen as well as to keep up the national pride and its passion to protect their nation. The speech was a eulogy which focused on the eminence of Athens and its predecessors. Usually a son was chosen to give the eulogy
We can learn several things from the “Funeral Oration of Pericles“. Two of these things are, the Athenians respect for their warrior class and how the Athenians were exceedingly proud of their city and its customs. The Athenians respected the warrior class and placed them among the top members of their society. They were seen as the top portion of their classes. They are classified as heroes or idols. The Athenians are extremely proud of their city and its traditions. To the people of Athens their
Pericles Funeral Oration is a speech that was given by Pericles whom was the Athenian 's Strategos (military commander) and written down by the famous historian, Thucydides that was an Athenian that attended the speech. The speech is Pericles effort to rally the Athenian people and lift their spirits and moral at a funeral after losing soldiers or member of war in the first battle of the Peloponnesian war, so that they would continue the good fight and not give up. Pericles attempts this by telling
created in Greece. Then a speech was given by the Athenian leader “Pericles” after the war. This speech was based on the bodies of those who have died. Although this is a Funeral Oration I sought two problems with this speech which is his values on the government and his views on the army. In the beginning of Pericles Funeral oration he states “Most of my predecessors in this place have commended him who made this speech part of the law, telling us that it is well that it should be delivered at the
There are two important matters that the "Funeral Oration of Pericles" proves, these two matters are, the great respect that Athenians have for their warrior class and how the Athenians were exceedingly proud of their city and its customs. The following paper discusses the way of life of Athenians and how the Funeral Oration of Pericles influenced it. It is a well-known fact that the Athenians had a great deal of respect for the warrior class and believed them to be among the top members of their
Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” and Pericles “Funeral Oration” are both speeches that clearly portray similar and diverse components. To begin, Lincoln and Pericles both express tone in similar ways. In order to encourage his frazzled and hopeless soldiers and families, in addition to emphasizing the deceased, Lincoln needed to state his tone in an explicit and benevolent approach in the “Gettysburg Address”. To do this, Lincoln begins his speech with “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers
different, in ways most wouldn’t think of. They can open the eyes of those who are lost, and change lives and the way things are thought of. The two speeches, “The Address Delivered at the Dedication of the Cemetery at Gettysburg”, and “Pericles’s Funeral Oration” are speeches that similarly support the same topic but are still very different. To begin, both speeches were written by well-known people. They support one topic that is to persuade the audience to accept the idea of honoring those who have
Pericles in 430 / 431 BCE recited his famous Funeral Oration at the annual public funeral for Athenian war casualties. This speech which is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful works of oratory/literature in history was recorded by Thucydides. By his recording of the Funeral Oration, we must question his motives – what would cause Thucydides to preserve this speech through writing? One answer could be that Thucydides noticed Athens was at a cusp (a point of inflection) in Athenian history
laws of the 1830s granted “dangerous freedom” to the individual, Americans managed to navigate interstitial spaces with assiduous virtue. This discussion will briefly connect threads from Aristotle’s Ethics, Plato’s Republic, and Pericles’ funeral oration to preface a more extensive examination of Tocqueville’s careful study of the institutions which reinforced virtue within America’s interstitial spaces. The conclusion will examine and evaluate the doctrine of “self-interest rightly understood”
Republic by Plato, The Prince by Machiavelli, and Pericles’ Funeral Oration from Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War discuss in detail the best types of government, who is fit to rule in it, and how one should rule once they have achieved the position. Even though they lived in a world much different from today, these historical figures accurately analyzed the major characteristics of government and as a result, they
Antigone Must Challenge Creon in Antigone In his "Funeral Oration" Pericles, Athens's leader in their war with other city-states, rallies the patriotism of his people by reminding them of the things they value. He encourages a sense of duty to Athens even to the point of self-sacrifice. He glorifies the free and democratic Athenian way of life and extravagantly praises those willing to die for it. In Antigone, Creon, Thebes's leader in their recent civil war, also must rally the patriotism
looked upon as shameful and might even be labeled as "whores". The wedding was almost always arranged by the father or kyrios and from this point on the woman's role was clear. Pericles gives a good explanation of the ideal wife in his famous Funeral Oration when reminding the women of Athens that: "Your great glory is not to be inferior in the way nature made you; and the greatest glory is hers who is least talked about by men, whether in praise or in blame (Thucydides: 2.45)." This implies that
Civil War Funeral Orations Throughout the course of history, there have been many civil wars. In those civil wars, many persons fought and died in battles to defend their beliefs. In the aftermath of a major battle, a people’s morale is as shattered and broken as the bodies of those that were slain. Following the battle, a funeral is conducted in remembrance of the deceased. At these funerals a funeral oration is usually given by a well-known domestic public figure, such as when Abraham
Pericles is chosen to present a speech at a funeral oration because of his intellectual gifts and general reputation. This speech was said at a public funeral for the people who were first to perish in war. Throughout Pericles’ speech he glorifies Athens about how they are better than everyone else and how they impact Greece. He explains that “when you realize [Athens’] greatness, then reflect that what made her great was men with a spirit of adventure, men who knew their duty, men who were ashamed
Pericles, the leader of the Athenians had presented this oration about those people, who had first fallen in battle. It is part of their law and show the respect of honor to those who had lost friends and families. The purpose of Pericles’s speech was for the ancestors the supervisors, who died for their country and lands. This famous oration was from the early days of Peloponnesian war. The speech was for every Athenian and any others who wished to attend. Athens was one of the oldest first city
Gettysburg Address, President Abraham Lincoln rededicates America to this fundamental creed, holding the Declaration of Independence’s claim that “all men are created equal” as the nation’s ideological foundation. Lincoln’s speech evokes Pericles’s Funeral Oration, which similarly flaunts equality as the bedrock of Athens. By linking the two speeches and states, Lincoln expands America’s national duty in demanding that the country provide an example to the world like Athens. Lincoln uses this duty as a
and Cassius portrayed Caesar as an ambitious tyrant to the Roman people. After Caesar was unjustly killed by his friends and comrades, the crowd was persuaded to believe that his death was necessary for the good of the republic. However, Antony’s oration cleverly manipulates the crowd through the use of pathetic appeals, especially enargeia, into rebelling against the assassins and mourning the death of Caesar. Caesar’s untimely and unnecessary death created a unique rhetorical moment that Marc
little doubt in anyone's mind that Gabriel's speech in "The Dead" is a failure. It is harder to understand what exactly he was trying to accomplish. The almost archaic style contradicts the lighthearted content, and what we are left with is a rambling oration which seems to produce nothing. Reading through the speech, one can not help but be struck by its wondrously odd and seemingly antiquated phraseology: [Let us] still cherish in our hearts the memory of those dead. . .whose fame the world
The funeral oration of Pericles was a speech that Pericles gave about democracy. The speech was for those who had died during the first year of the war. Pericles tried to honor those who had fought for their city, those who had been brave enough to leave their souls and hearts in the battlefields and those who were proud of being Athenians. Pericles not only was the leader of Athens in that era (431/430 B.C.) but also a great supporter of democracy. He was very popular, many citizens followed him