Contact us Introduction It was the custom at the time to honor the dead each year who had died defending their city-state, the city-state of Athens. 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. He compares Athens to the heroes of legend by saying that they do not need Homer or "any other panegyrist" to praise them. As a funeral oration, Pericles's speech is a specific form of panegyric called an epitaphion. On the way home Pericles is shipwrecked in a storm in Pentapolis. They are reunited, but Pericles is exhausted, and in his sleep the goddess Diana tells him to go to her temple in Ephesus and tell of his experiences. Please wait while we process your payment. Pericles, a great supporter of democracy, was a Greek leader and statesman during the Peloponnesian War. Choose some scenes from the Odyssey and discuss how they characterize Pericles glorifies the equal justice to all under the law that all men of Athens share and glorifies their superiority over their peer poleis. Pericles' Funeral Oration Analysis, Sample of Essays - EduCheer! Pericles' Funeral Oration Analysis: Athenian Democracy Pericles opens by saying he doesn't agree w/ the speech. Free Funeral Oration Essays and Papers | 123 Help Me In his writing, Pericles addresses several issues in the Athenian government including democracy, freedom, and service to community and city. Pericles argues that the speaker of the oration has the impossible task of satisfying the associates of the dead, who would wish that their deeds be magnified, while everyone else might feel jealous and suspect exaggeration. 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." Pericles' Funeral Oration was a significant timestamp in 5th century Greece, Athens and to the Classical World. Pericles' Funeral Oration (Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, translated by Rex Warner, Penguin Books, 1972, pages 144-150.) "Funeral Oration Study Guide." If you're looking to get an A - or if you're just curious - this audio will put you ahead of the class! It is the virtues of Athenians that have made Athens glorious. Pericles defies the traditional role of a funeral orator as historian of Athenian accomplishments in order to thoroughly redefine what makes Athens great. As was common in ancient Greece, Athens also had a population of slaves, who were also excluded from citizenship. Had he quoted the speech verbatim, he would have written "" ("this", or "these words") instead of "" ("like this" or "words like these"). Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. [a], The Funeral Oration was recorded by Thucydides in book two of his famous History of the Peloponnesian War. Both of them heavily promote a sense of nationalism in the surviving listeners, both commend the brave sacrifices of soldiers living and dead, and both invoke a deep sense of sorrow while simultaneously setting up feelings of national pride and faith in the societies . Per the writing of Thucydides, Pericles' funeral oration implied that democracy makes it so people can better themselves through merit rather than class or money. Socrates here delivers to Menexenus a speech that he claims to have learned from Aspasia, a consort of Pericles and prominent female Athenian intellectual. Pericles Funeral Oration Analysis - 1068 Words | 123 Help Me The Thirty Tyrants After the Peloponnesian War. Pericles' Funeral Oration Primary Source Analysis by Stephanie's History Store $3.50 PDF Students will read excerpts from the Funeral Oration Pericles gave during the Peloponnesian War and answer 25 questions. Gill is a Latinist, writer, and teacher of ancient history and Latin. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. Accessed March 3, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Funeral-Oration/. For example, Athenians hold athletic games and freely practice their religion. Athens was governed primarily by an assembly of citizens that met once a month to debate the city's issues in public. Addressing those who lost loved ones in the battle, Pericles says that he is offering them comfort rather than pity. Course Hero. Pericles gave his oration, or ceremonial speech, about 431 BCE. Historical Commentary On Thucydides Vol Iv Books V25 Vii By A W Gomme Like "Time is the wisest counselor of all" Pericles . Under the hands of Pericles, Thucydides thought democracy could be controlled, but without him, it could be dangerous. He is successful, but discovers that its answer reveals the incestuous relationship between father and daughter. This study guide for Pericles's Funeral Oration offers summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. The first theme, fitting in that the speech was given at a funeral for war heroes, is that the most valiant way a man can live and die is in service of freedom and his city in this case, Athens. The last part of the ceremony was a speech delivered by a prominent Athenian citizen chosen by the state. It is likely also meant to encourage parents to engage in consideration of political issues, rather than simply think in terms of their own families. Pericles' Funeral Oration is a speech written to honor the fallen Athenian heroes who sacrificed their lives for their nation in the first year of the Peloponnesian War. There are several different English translations of the speech available. Pericles begins his oration by setting out the difficulty of his task: to please those in the audience who were close to the dead with tales of glory and honor without dismissing the citizens of Athens, who Pericles claims only want to hear praise of the dead so long as they can feel satisfied that they are equally great, (II.35). on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% Chapter 3 | Funeral Oration of Pericles, from The History of the Pericles' Funeral Oration - Time to Prepare I quite agree that he 'praises the dead not by celebrating their exploits (which . Jun 23 No, We Shouldn't Model Our Democracy on Ancient Athens Upload them to earn free Course Hero access! Born around 460 in Athens, he had caught the Plague that beset the city in 430, served as one of its generals in 424, and, despite Finally, Pericles says that the Athenian state, which has already provided a burial service, will also pay for the upbringing of the sons of the dead men. | [8] It is possible that elements of both speeches are represented in Thucydides's version. 35+ Pericles Quotes From The Great Greek Orator & Statesman 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. Funeral Oration Study Guide | Course Hero Pericles' Funeral Oration - Wikipedia Pericles doesn't reveal the truth, and Antiochus gives him forty days before his death sentence. Pericles believed that democracy, because it is rule by citizens, required citizens to be informed and to have a direct interest in affairs of state. on 50-99 accounts. Around 431 B.C. Details about the nature and name of this disease are unknown, but a recent best guess is Typhoid Fever. He adds that grieving parents who are young enough to do so should have more children, to replace those who have been lost. BBC Radio 4 - In Our Time, Pericles In these ways, Pericles says, the soldiers who died were "worthy of Athens" and are a heroic example to all. 399 BCE): Pericles's Funeral Oration from the Peloponnesian War (Book 2.3446)", "What new music are you singing these days? A panegyrist is one who writes a panegyric, a formal public speech that elaborately praises someone or something. Pericles' Funeral Oration: [Essay Example], 842 words Contact us (This argument is a response to Spartan criticisms of Athens.) In the following speech, Pericles made these points about democracy: Baird, Forrest E., editor. For these reasons, it is easy to view the account of Pericles' Funeral Oration as glorifying its giver and celebrating the democracy he sought to perpetuate. [21], Pericles then turns to the audience and exhorts them to live up to the standards set by the deceased, "So died these men as becomes Athenians. 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. It was Athenian tradition to bury the bones of those who fell in battle together, along with an empty casket to represent those whose bodies were not found. In a statement oozing with patriotism, Pericles proclaims: We cultivate refinement without extravagance and knowledge without effeminacy; wealth we employ more for use than for show and place the real disgrace of poverty not in owning to the fact but in declining the struggle against it. It is these balanced priorities and powerful show of moderation that makes Athens great. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. [21] He praises the soldiers for not faltering in their execution during the war. Pericles was a leading figure of the Peloponnesian War. ABSTRACT. 29, 2021, thoughtco.com/pericles-funeral-oration-thucydides-version-111998. He notes that the soldiers wanted to punish their enemies. Pericles ends with a short epilogue, reminding the audience of the difficulty of the task of speaking over the dead. Pericles emphasized the power of the Athenian people and in particular their ability to work together for the greater good of the city by putting aside what they might want in the moment as individuals. D. Pericles thinks Athens is powerful because of its intellectual freedom and motivation. It would be important for Athens to maintain its population in order to remain a powerful city-state; that means Athenians must continue to have children. Here, Pericles clearly reveals the patriarchal nature of Athenian society. In Course Hero. His words were preserved by his fellow Athenian, Thucydides, in his History of the Peloponnesian War. He argues that the Athenian army and navy can overcome their enemies. 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. Gower returns to offer a conclusion, noting that we have seen evil punished (Antiochus and his daughter have died, and when the people of Tarsus discovered Cleon's evil, they revolted and killed him and his wife in a palace fire), but that we have met a variety of good people along the way, such as loyal Helicanus and charitable Cerimon. 404 BCE), who included the speech in his History of the Peloponnesian War. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. 2023. Antiochus sends an assassin after him. He helped to shape and develop the democracy enjoyed in Athens and to grow the Athenian empire. Indeed, Pericles argues, Athenians are just as strong militarily as the Spartans, while they also have a superior lifestyle. of the Peloponnesian War? In Ephesus, Thaisa is a priestess at the temple where Pericles tells his story. Pericles's funeral oration was recorded by the Athenian historian Thucydides (c. 460-c. 404 BCE) in his . [21] He regards the soldiers who gave their lives as truly worth of merit. What Is A Eulogy? Ethos, Pathos, and Logos In Pericles's Funeral Pericles and Funeral Oration for Kids and Teachers - Ancient Greece for Purchasing Pericles Funeral Speech Analysis - 445 Words | Bartleby By signing up, you'll get thousands of. Unlike Spartans, Athenians enjoy and appreciate luxury and relaxation, as well as contact with the outside world. by Pericles who was the Athenian leader. 5 likes. Pericles praises the Athenians who helped build the Athenian empire in the aftermath of the Persian Wars (492449 BCE). The Peloponnesian war would continue for several years. Cameron Moore Professor Bruns World History 11 September 2017 Analysis on Gettysburg Address and Thucydides, Pericles' Funeral Oration The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln and Thucydides, Pericles' Funeral Oration share striking similarities, even though both documents originate from different time periods. Funeral Oration Study Guide. However, Pericles argues, this does not in any way make Athens weak. In this speech . Indeed, a worthy summation of Pericless oration is that it is a count of the points in which [Athens] is worthy of admiration. In his speech, he also tries to show that the state considers the well-being of parents and families. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! Purchasing Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. Fewer people than you may think have read or even heard of the Gettysburg Address. Pericles "Funeral Oration" was given in 431 BC after the end of the first year of the Peloponnesian War. 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. Pericles begins by praising the dead, as the other Athenian funeral orations do, by regard the ancestors of present-day Athenians (2.36.12.36.3), touching briefly on the acquisition of the empire. He claims that "in magnifying the city I have magnified them." 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. He was so important to Athens that his name defines the Periclean age ("The Age of Pericles"), a period when Athens rebuilt what had been destroyed during the recent war with Persia (the Greco-Persian or Persian Wars).