Introduction
Pericles’ Funeral Oration was developed to promote Athens and its war heroes. Pericles had a firm belief in his people and in their capabilities to fight any adversity. The goal that Pericles achieved through this speech was to make the people feel proud to be Athenians. Athenians had a great sense of admiration for the war heroes; they were categorized as heroes of the country, and they were regarded as the highest members of society. The funeral oration was made in order to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers who had died in the Peloponnesian War while trying to defend Athens (James A. Mackin Jr, pp. 251-262). Due to the ultimate dedication and sacrifice of these war heroes, Athens became what it was.
Discussion
Pericles truly believed in the citizens of Athens, and he considered them to be the best when it came to sacrifice and determination. Pericles also told his citizens that their ancestors deserved great praise because they lived in a free state (James A. Mackin Jr, pp. 251-262). These ancestors had to lose a great deal in order to give the Athenians what they had. On the other hand, Pericles also wanted the people of Athens to believe in themselves and know that they had done something substantial because of their own ability and not because of their ancestors (Shawna, Ritchie, pp. 7-13). Pericles believed that love for a country would always encourage its soldiers to fight for their homeland. Pericles wanted the people to recognize the fact that everyone was proud to be part of Athens and that the soldiers of Athens would protect their country, no matter what.
The primary theme of this speech is centred around the fallen Athenian soldiers during the Peloponnesian War. In his speech, Pericles shares many distinctive abilities of the people of Athens, redefining a lot of customary Greek virtues in a new light. The initial theme of the speech was to honour the war heroes (Pressfield, Steven, N.p.). The speech emphasized the role of war heroes and motivated soldiers by saying that dying in the line of duty to protect the property and citizens of the city is considered the most courageous way a man can hope to die. Pericles also emphasized that if a soldier dies while protecting his city, his death won’t be in vain, as people will always remember his sacrifice, and he will always be remembered as a lucky person who died as a ‘hero.’
The ultimate focus of Pericles in this speech is that the people of Athens should be capable enough to put away their trivial issues and, instead, struggle for the greater good of Athens. The people of Athens should believe that if they are united, then no one will be able to defeat them, no matter how powerful and strong the opponent is (Pressfield, Steven. N.p.). The people of Athens should follow all the rules and regulations and obey the public administrators in every way possible, which would make them more disciplined. According to Pericles, by following the principles of democracy, Athenians had become the ideal of the Greek world.
Pericles also talks about the uniqueness of Athens and how its government system is based upon the principles of democracy. According to Pericles, Athenian democracy is a system of government where men rule on the basis of merit only rather than on wealth or class. In Athens, any man can be allowed to rule as long as he has the required capability. People are not discriminated against based on wealth, caste, or race in Athens. Pericles describes how, in Athens, men are free to do or say anything without fear of judgment as long as they follow the basic rules and regulations (Bryan, Lindenberger. N.p.). Pericles also praises the justice system in Athens for giving equal rights to all under the law. Pericles recognizes that democracy is the best form of government, and in his view, Athens has adopted democracy in its finest form, making it superior to all of the other states.
Conclusions
After critically analyzing Pericles’ Funeral Oration, I came to the conclusion that the primary reason for the speech was the catastrophic deaths of soldiers; however, the content within the funeral oration was very revealing and powerful. Generally, I do not believe everything about Athens that Pericles had to say. I think he intentionally made an emotional speech to boost the morale of his soldiers so that they would be keenly invested in fighting a war and winning it. Pericles used this funeral oration to start a fire inside the hearts of his soldiers so that they would want to take revenge for their fallen soldiers and keep fighting the war. Pericles’ oration was more of a political move rather than an event honoring the fallen soldiers of Athens. One thing I do believe from Pericles’ speech is how he described democracy in Athens. According to him, democracy in Athens was established in order to favor the general public. I agree with Pericles that democracy and a proper justice system are the ultimate form of government and a way to progress even further.
Works Cited
James A. Mackin Jr, Schismogenesis and Community: Pericles’ Funeral Oration: Quarterly Journal of Speech: Vol. 77, No 3. (2009) pp. 251-262
Shawna, Ritchie: POLITICAL MYTH AND ACTION IN PERICLES’ FUNERAL ORATION. Vol. 8 (2008) pp. 7-13
Pressfield, Steven: War Stories: Pericles’ Funeral Oration. Stevenpressfield.com. (2011). N. p.
Bryan Lindenberger: Pericles Funeral Oration Analysis. Bryanberg.net. (2006). N. p.
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