Judgment was rendered according to their laws, once again, by courts made up of citizens. 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. To approach a question 400 million years in the making, researchers turned to mudskippers, blinking fish that live partially out of water. Pericles' Funeral Oration - Thucydides' Version. And with the spectre of mortality looming at all times, they lived only for the pleasure of the moment and everything that might conceivably contribute to that pleasure. Pericles is perhaps best remembered for a building program centred on theAcropolis which included the Parthenon and for a funeral oration he gave early in the Peloponnesian War, as recorded by Thucydides. In 430429 B.C.E., Athens was devastated by a mysterious epidemic, which reared its head again a few years later. The Athenians gave him a public burial on the spot where he fell [only the men who died at Marathon received the same extraordinary honor] (1.30). While the rest of the world continued to be characterized by monarchical, rigidly hierarchical, command societies, democracy in Athens was carried as far as it would go before modern times, perhaps further than at any other place and time. Details about the nature and name of this disease are unknown, but a recent best guess is Typhoid Fever. Gill is a Latinist, writer, and teacher of ancient history and Latin. Pericles delivered the oration not only to bury the dead but to praise democracy. She was also niece to the father of Athenian democracy, Cleisthenes. Why was Pericles talking about democracy during this speech? Spartas system appealed especially to aristocrats, such as the young men who conversed with Socrates in the gymnasia. The crisis had only just begun. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Thucydides (c. 460/455c. And after a life spent in what among our people passes for comfort, he died most gloriously. Open Document. ), who said he was quoting Pericles himself. It rejected the leveling principle pursued by both ancient Sparta and modern socialism, which requires the suppression of those rights. More than 20,000 tons of marble were used, producing the iconic Parthenon and the imposing colonnade of the Propylaea, the entrance gateway. Although limited to adult males of native parentage, Athenian citizenship granted full and active participation in every decision of the state without regard to wealth or class. Thought is not a barrier to the achievement of heroic goals. Whereas, Lysias supports the restoration of democracy because he believes that fighting for equality and rising up in rebellion is worthwhile. The first known date in his life is 472 bce, when he paid for the production of the playwright Aeschylus Persian trilogy. He says that Athens's democracy ensures justice for all its citizens but also encourages excellence in individuals. He further says that democracy guarantees privacy and equal justice for all. This text is an excerpt from the National Geographic special issue, The little-known history of the Florida panther. The new democracies will, therefore, need leaders in the Periclean mold, leaders who know that the aim and character of true democracy should be to elevate their citizens to the highest attainable level, and that cutting down the greatest to assuage the envy of the least is the way of tyranny. 2 Pages. VOL. XI I953 No. i - JSTOR Where citizens boast a freedom that differs from their enemies' the Lacedaemonians. Pericles Funeral Oration in Depth. Pericles took a different view: We believe, he said,that words are no barrier to deeds, but rather that harm comes from not taking instruction from discussion before the time has come for action. In a democracy, citizens behave lawfully while doing what they like without fear of prying eyes. Instead, they thought man was of the same race as the gods, a creature capable of extraordinary achievements. Pericles. Men gathered frequently at three public gymnasia to prepare for the (naked) athletic competitions in the Panathenaic Stadium. Ad Choices. Donald Kagan is Bass Professor of History and Classics and Western Civilization at Yale University. Social distancing and mass burials are now a part of New Yorks cityscape. . Highlights from the week in culture, every Saturday. . By sharing in the common responsibility he was able to develop powers and aspects of himself that allowed him to become more fully human than he could have on his own. [a], The Funeral Oration was recorded by Thucydides in book two of his famous History of the Peloponnesian War. Next came coughing, stomach pain, diarrhea, and vomiting of every kind of bile that has been given a name by the medical profession. The skin turned reddish with pustules and ulcers, while the stricken plunged into the citys water tanks trying to slake an unquenchable thirstpossibly contaminating the water supply. Pericles - Wikipedia Pericles believed these should be the goals for every Athenian to live and die for. The Athenians excluded women, children, resident aliens, and slaves from political life, but the principle of equality within the political community that they invented was the seed of the modern idea of universal egalitarianism that flowered during the French Enlightenment. The oration articulates ancient democratic theory, and the picture of democracy it describes serves as a model for democratic states even today.1 In a seminal piece of work, Clifford Orwin has argued in his book, The Humanity of Thucydides that Pericles' third speech, delivered to the Athenian populace after the outbreak of the plague represents What did Pericles say about Athens in his Funeral Oration? There are several different English translations of the speech available. The first is to have a set of good institutions; the second is to have a body of citizens who possess a good understanding of the principles of democracy, or who at least have developed a character consistent with the democratic way of life; the third is to have a high quality of leadership, at least at critical moments. Work began in 447 B.C. Twenty-five hundred years later we remember him and his fellow-Athenians precisely because of their devotion to this great civic endeavor. And we decide public questions ourselves, or at least come to a sound understanding of them (2.40.2). Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/pericles-funeral-oration-thucydides-version-111998. One way that it gained the needed commitment was by creating, for the first time in history, a true political life which allowed its active citizens to exercise human capacity previously employed by very few. The outbreak of war among the Greek states in 459 put a premium on military talent, and Pericles only recorded campaign in the next few years was a naval expedition in the Corinthian Gulf in 454, in which Athens defeated Achaea but failed to win more important objectives. An even greater substitution for the glories of war could be found in the exercise by each Athenian of his political duties. The Athenians depicted in his Funeral Oration are idealized images, and events would soon show the darker, less admirable side of Athenian society. The Persian War, begun as an ill-considered gesture in 499, could be considered ultimately successful. Funerals after such battles were public rituals and Pericles used the occasion to make a classic statement of the value of democracy. Who buys lion bones? Pericles. We obey those who hold office and the laws themselves, especially those enacted for the protection of the oppressed and those which, although unwritten, it is acknowledged shame to violate (2.37.3). The Spartans faced this fundamental problem of the polis in its sharpest form. His achievements included the construction of the Acropolis, begun in 447. A correct assessment is vital for understanding Pericles, but explanations vary considerably; some argue that Pericles was merely forging a low-level political weapon for use against Cimon, who had a foreign mother. Nobody knows what the plague was, although classically minded epidemiologists still debate its cause. The ancient Greek Herodotus is considered by many to be the father of history. It is from his groundbreaking work, the History, that our modern meaning of the word was handed down through time. 476 Words. Funeral Speech of Pericles from Athens Democracy Pericles: The First Great Statesman of the Ancient World But these benefits, important as they were, did not appeal to the most basic spiritual need of all, the need for kleos and immortality. But the reward of these virtues was kleos, the fame and glory that alone held out the hope of victory over death. Athenian doctors bore the brunt: Terrible . Thucydides fervently supported Periclesbut was less enthusiastic about the institution of democracy. The New Yorker may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Thucydides, Pericles' Funeral Oration. Pericles stirring funeral oration is among the most famous passages of Thucydides. He was too scrupulous to blame the epidemic on the Spartansan ancient reproach to those today who try to pin blame on foreign rivals. "[22], Pericles addresses the widows of the dead only here, telling them that "the greatest glory for a woman is not to be spoken of at all, either for good or ill."[23] This passage is often cited as characteristic of Athenian attitudes to women's role in public life,[24] but is also connected to the standard behaviour of women as mourners at private funerals.[25]. . Our educations are different, too. The thousands of citizens who participated in Athenss fledgling democracy attended the popular assembly at the Pnyx, a rise in the center of the city. It was translated into English in 1628 by Thomas Hobbes, and has since been cited by heads of state from Woodrow Wilson to Xi Jinping. He believed that mans capacities and desires could be fulfilled at the highest level only through participation in the life of a community governed by reasoned discussion and guided by intelligence. The new and emerging democracies of our time are very fragile, and they all face serious challenges. The Acropolis looms over tourists in Athens. For they gave their lives for the common good. Even more simply, it is a democracy because while Athenians "are free and tolerant in our private lives, in public affairs we keep to the law. His political program allowed all Athenian citizens to take part in government, to help guide their own destinies and those of their polis, as befits free men, to pursue their own prosperity and happiness in a broad realm of privacy, free of interference and confiscation by the state yet held to a high standard of ethical behavior in the role of a citizen. (2021, July 29). Athens was one of the most important and powerful cities in the ancient world. This famous speech was given by the Athenian leader Pericles after the first battles of the Peloponnesian war. The Athenian Plague, a Cautionary Tale of Democracy's Fragility THUCYDIDES gives Pericles very little to say in his Funeral - JSTOR . Knowledge of the life of Pericles derives largely from two sources. The surge in mail-in voting this year has protected people from the coronavirus, but it has also highlighted problems in the nations patchwork, underfunded election system. More fully, and therefore at greater length, Pericles did the same thing. The following excerpt is from a speech known as "The Funeral Oration," delivered by the Athenian general and politician Pericles in 431 BCE. The earliest is known as the Funeral Oration of Pericles. His selection as public orator was thus a tribute to his stature, reputation, and political power. If the newly free nations see democracy chiefly as a quick route to material well-being and equal distribution of wealth, they will be badly disappointed, and democracy will fail. He would not be surprised to find his book being read today, during the coronavirus lockdown. "Future ages will wonder at us, as the present age wonders at us now." - Pericles. As Plato knew, political regimes are as fragile as any other human structure, and all fall in time. It was still open to each man to seek satisfaction in the pursuit of his own interests and those of his family, if necessary at the expense of the polis. STDs are at a shocking high. He used his speeches to articulate a compelling vision for Athens and its citizens, inspiring them to come together around common goals. Part of the speech met the challenge posed by the heroic tradition that emphasized competition, excellence, or merit and the undying glory that rewarded it. In it, Pericles (or Thucydides) extols the values of democracy. When it reappeared in the Western world more than two millennia later, it was broader but shallower. Pericles (left) and Pheidias consult about creation of statue of Athena in this painting. Pericles and Funeral Oration for Kids and Teachers - Ancient Greece for Here are popular Pericles quotes about that time. [11] The speech glorifies Athens' achievements, designed to stir the spirits of a state still at war. They did not believe that man was entirely trivial, a mere bit of dust in the vast Cosmic order, such that his passing was a thing of no account. Alcohol-free bars, no-booze cruises, and other tools can help you enjoy travel without the hangover. Read the following excerpt from Pericles's speech: Our constitution does not copy the laws of neighboring states; we are rather a pattern to others than imitators ourselves. "Pericles' Funeral Oration - Thucydides' Version." Politically he is credited with some kind of rapprochement with Cimon, who is said to have been recalled and allowed to resume the war with Persia, much preferred to fighting other Greeks, but the date of Cimons recall is uncertain, and the rumours are hard to disentangle. https://www.thoughtco.com/pericles-funeral-oration-thucydides-version-111998 (accessed May 1, 2023). Pericles' Funeral Oration can be compared to several more modern speeches, most notably Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. He goes on to talk about Athenian lifestyle and recreation, as to further position Athens as the height of civilization. PDF Political Myth and Action in Pericles' Funeral Oration And they especially need leaders with the talents to persuade their impatient citizens that these political institutions are the necessary first foundation for a decent regime and a good life for all. Who was Pericles? - DailyHistory.org That Pericles immediately succeeded the assassinated Ephialtes as head of the democratic party in 461 is an ancient oversimplification; there were other men of considerable weight in Athens in the next 15 years. We say he has no business being here at all. 12. This is a sobering history, but, reading Thucydides account of the plague while under lockdown, I sometimes found the frosty old historian oddly heartening. All rights reserved, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. In the Athens of Pericles, however, the general prosperity and payment for public service gave the average man a degree of leisure unknown in other states. The speech begins by praising the custom of the public funeral for the dead, but criticises the inclusion of the speech, arguing that the "reputations of many brave men" should "not be imperilled in the mouth of a single individual". The basic ideologies of democracy were described by Pericles in his funeral oration. Although all the men of the Spartiate class were called homoioi (peers), the kings had special privileges, and there was a class of noblemen distinct from the others. 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. This ancient marvel rivaled Romes intricate network of roads, For some long COVID patients, exercise is bad medicine, Radioactive dogs? In 461 B.C., he joined the reformer Ephialtes in organizing a vote in the popular assembly that stripped all remaining powers from the Areopagus, the old noble council. 3.38.4. Pericles met the challenge of the heroic tradition by showing that democracy would bring to all the citizens of Athens the advantages heretofore reserved for the well-born few. Instead, survivors looked for already burning funeral pyres, adding friends and relatives to the blaze. In his oration, he made democracy, freedom, and justice the main rationale for citizens . Please select which sections you would like to print: Professor of Ancient History, University of Oxford, 198594. Instead, we put our trust not in secret weapons, but in our own courage when we are called upon to act. The newer image, provided by Sparta, took shape no earlier than the seventh century but immediately captured the imagination of many and continued to fascinate Greek thinkers for centuries. Thinking, Levels. Therefore, they were willing to run risks in its defense, make sacrifices on its behalf, and restrain their passions and desires to preserve it. They followed a written code that was exclusively in the interest of the ruling class. The aristocrat believed that the poor were not free, because their poverty deprived them of leisure and, therefore, of the opportunity to take part in public life. Updates? The Funeral Oration is significant because it differs from the usual form of Athenian funeral speeches. Socrates and Pericles, two of these philosophers, had polarizing opinions about the city-state and its citizens. In Athenians society, one of the important custom is their funeral. democracy the best source is the series of panegyrics on Athens. While Pericles chooses to praise the Athenian citizen, Socrates criticizes Athens . To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories, To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. With brilliant brevity Lincoln answered some questions by pointing to the greatness of the cause at issue. He stated that the soldiers who died gave their lives to protect the city of Athens, its citizens, and its freedom. But most of the citizens, even in undemocratic states, had no such opportunities. to turn the rocky hill known as the Acropolis into a breathtaking temple complex. The Spartans were famous for their brevity and distrust of subtle reasoning, but Pericles praises the democracys fondness for debate and discussion. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. What is Pericles trying to say in his speech? - Heimduo Pericles first made a name for himself in the city-state during his 20s as a wealthy aristocratic arts patron. With a fleet that commanded the seas, the guaranteed revenues needed to support its navy and provide supplies against any siege, and a city and port defended by impregnable walls, Athens had achieved unprecedented security. His life has neither law nor order; and this distracted existence he terms joy and bliss and freedom; and so he goes on (Republic 56lC). Had he quoted the speech verbatim, he would have written "" ("this", or "these words") instead of "" ("like this" or "words like these"). No one, moreover, if he has it in him to do some good for the city, is barred because of poverty or humble origins (Thucydides 2.37.1). Author of. "Pericles's Funeral Oration" (Ancient Greek: ) is a famous speech from Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War. Finally, Pericles revels in the variety available to the citizens of Athensan object of scorn to Plato, but another quality, we must remember, normally associated with aristocracy. Where their system of democracy allowed them to have a voice amongst those who made important decisions that would affect them. II.43: Context and Meaning - University of Bristol . [12] 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.[13]. Given Pericles' family's wealth and influence in Athens, he received a very good . Democracy allows men to advance because of merit rather than wealth or inherited class. Pericles Quotes - BrainyQuote 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. and then by imposing Athenian weights and measures on all league members three years later. Pericles' Funeral Oration - Thucydides' Version - ThoughtCo Pericles therefore asserts that we conduct our public life as free men [eleuthero.i] (2.37.2). Our love of what is beautiful does not lead to extravagance; our love of the things of the mind does not make us soft. The only name associated with his early education is that of the musical theorist Damon, whose influence, it is said, was not just confined to music. Only one ancient account mentions the existence of Xerxes Canal, long thought to be a tall tale. Prior to the plague's devastation, Athenians were already dying as a result of the war. Governor Pericles' speech, captured by the Athenian historian General Thucydides and known as "The Funeral Oration," serves as a model for how a leader in an executive role may raise the spirit of his or her people during a time of crisis. Beyond those advantages, its early champions tried to show that the polis was necessary for civilized life, and therefore deserved the highest sacrifice. But soon after Pericles gave that prideful speech, the original democracy got sick. A reconstruction of Pericles' house from The Greeks documentary. Pericles was a famous Greek general. But they are won by and for all the citizens of democratic Athens, and Pericles does not hesitate to assert the superiority of this collective achievement, going so far as to reject the need for an epic poet to guarantee its renown: We have provided great evidences of our power, and it is not without witnesses; we are the objects of wonder today and will be in the future. As for poverty, no one need be ashamed to admit it: the real shame is in not taking practical measures to escape from it. [b] Another confusing factor is that Pericles is known to have delivered another funeral oration in 440BCE during the Samian War.
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