In Chapter 1, the author assesses the unique and eternal achievements of 5th century BCE Athenian culture. She introduces several basic dichotomies that define her understanding of the writers and events of the period in the later chapters.…
After the Peloponnesian War, Pericles delivered an oration to celebrate the soldiers who had died in battle. Similarly, Sogoyewapha’s oration delivered at the council of chiefs of the Six Nations to celebrate their religion. Both orations give an understanding of the inner workings of government in ancient Athens and in the aboriginal nation. The approach that will be applied to analyze the orations will be Burke’s pentad, noting carefully both Pericles’ and Sogoyewapha’s use of identification. On a shallow level, one can see that the act of the pentad would be that Pericles is simply giving an oration to commemorate the fallen soldiers. In addition, the agent would be that of Pericles, but he identifies himself with those who reside in the state, the brethren of the fallen soldiers, their parents, their children, their neighbours and the fallen themselves. The scene is set in Athens, more specifically Athens after the Peloponnesian War. The purpose of the oration was to pay respect to those who have fallen because according to Pericles “it [seems] sufficient that [those] who have showed their valour by action should also by an action have their honour” (Thucydides). Lastly, the agency of which the oration was presented is revealed when Pericles says “thus also have I, according to the prescript of the law, delivered in word [the oration]” (Thucydides). In contrast but also very shallow, one can point out that the act of Sogoyewapha’s appeal is to preserve the religion of his people. The agent seen idealistically is Sogoyewapha, who identifies himself as a “son of the Great Spirit”. The scene is set in the new United States, after the American Revolutionary War. The purpose of the oration was to demand the Americans respect their religion instead of what Sogoyewapha says “force [their] religion upon [them]” (Bryan).…
Pericles, being the man of approved “wisdom and eminent reputation,” was chosen by the state to administer an appropriate eulogy. He begins his Oration by commending all those who contributed their lives to defending the Athenian Empire. Quickly after his appraisal, Pericles transitions into glorifying the democratic institutions in which Athens was founded upon. “And if our more remote ancestors deserve praise, much more do our own fathers, who added to their inheritance the empire which we now possess, and spared no to be able to leave their acquisitions to us of the present generation.” (2.36, PG. 112) Pericles continues by describing how democracy not only exhibits freedom in government, but also in ordinary life, which in turn allowed the public to pursue means of…
After consultations with its allies, Sparta sent a deputation to Athens demanding certain concessions, such as the immediate expulsion of the Alcmaeonidae family including Pericles and the retraction of the Megarian Decree, threatening war if the demands were not met. The obvious purpose of these proposals was the instigation of a confrontation between Pericles and the people; this event, indeed, would come about a few years later. At that time, the Athenians unhesitatingly followed Pericles' instructions. In the first legendary oration Thucydides puts in his mouth, Pericles advised the Athenians not to yield to their opponents' demands, since they were militarily stronger. Pericles was not prepared to make unilateral concessions, believing that "if Athens conceded on that issue, then Sparta was sure to come up with further demands". Consequently, Pericles asked the Spartans to offer a quid pro quo. In exchange for retracting the Megarian Decree, the Athenians demanded from Sparta to abandon their practice of periodic expulsion of foreigners from their territory and to recognize the…
Both Pericles “Funeral Oration” and George W. Bush’s address to the nation after the 9/11 terrorist attack were given at times of grief and mourning. Pericles “Funeral Oration” was given in 431 BC after the end of the first year of the Peloponnesian War. Pericles gave this speech to pay tribute to the people lost in battle. Pericles was chosen to give the “Funeral Oration” by the city of Athens as he was a leading citizen of Athens, as he was an orator and general during the Golden Age. This was the same for George W. Bush, he was a leading citizen in the United States of America. As he was the president of that country, it only seemed fitting for him to give the speech. George W. Bush addressed to the nation was given on September 11, 2002 at Ellis Island in New York, New York. After the terrorist attack by the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda on 9/11.…
Several philosophers and thinkers have graced Athens but none probably have described Athens as vividly as Pericles did with his funeral speech delivered in honor of the martyrs of the Peloponnesian War. This speech was given almost a year after the Peloponnesian War started and its purpose was to inspire both the citizens and the army of Athens. In his speech Pericles describes Athens as a flawless state when compared with its contemporaries. Pericles highlighted the achievements of Athens in almost every sphere ranging from its military prowess to its conduct of justice and equal opportunity to the most ordinary of its citizens regardless of his class or economic status. Pericles proclaims Athens as…
Like Mesopotamia, Athens might be well known for their system of law and order. Athens saw the beginning of democracy and government like we know it today. In Athens, government now included citizens, not just representatives like in previous systems. For one of the first times in history, regular citizens could play key roles in how their community and government was…
Use this organizer to plan an essay comparing Abraham Lincoln's "Address Delivered at the Dedication of…
Thucydides, a known historian during the time, described and analyzed the motives of the infamous Peloponnesian War. The war was between two powerful city-states: Athens and Sparta. The conflict arose due to excessive power. The Athenians were optimistic that they were the driving force that led Greece and all of its city-states. Specifically, the historian focuses on the funeral oration presented by Pericles. Pericles, ironically, doesn’t display sorrow but displays comfort and proud of what each individual has contributed to Athens. For Pericles, it wasn’t about the tragic fatalities but about courage and patriotism. Pericles believes in Athens and knows that this city-state possesses many freedoms and opportunities for success and peace.…
After Pericles’ death, Thucydides foreshadows the plight of all later leaders, noting they were unable to rule the people as Pericles had, instead they “managed all these affairs in the opposite way” and “resorted to handing over affairs to the people’s pleasure” (2.65), resulting in frequent missteps. Although this is presented to the reader, they still search for hope as the later leaders struggle to find the perfect balance of rationality and wisdom Pericles had achieved. There are frequent similarities between Pericles and his successors, but for Kleon, those similarities do not align him closer to the greatness of Pericles but rather highlight their differences.…
In 431 B.C, war erupted in Greece as two very different Greek city-states, Athens and Sparta, fought for domination of the Greek world. In the first winter of the war held a public funeral to honor those who had died in battle. As was the custom in Athens, one leading citizen was asked to address the crowd, and on this day it was Pericles who spoke to the people.…
This is due to the high regard the ancient Greeks held for their language. The regard for their language is demonstrated in a speech by Nicias, an Athenian general, to his troops before facing impending defeat, in which he acknowledged their allies as Athenians, not due to similarity in origin, but rather their sharing of language placing them at equal prestige (Thucydides, Book IV, chapter XXIII). One of the finest examples of the artistry of Thucydides’ craftsmanship of speeches, is the speech given by Pericles, an important Athenian politician, at a public funeral, after the first year of the war. This speech is among the most celebrated of the ancient Greeks, due to the inclusion of a passionate tribute to the fallen and glorification of Athens and the polis’ causes. Within the glorification of Athens, he emphasized the sophistication of Athens and their aptitude for art of the mind. The first reference is towards the beginning of the address with these words, “Our constitution does not copy the laws of neighboring states; we are rather a pattern to others than imitators ourselves.” These references continue throughout including, “Further, we provide plenty of means for the mind to refresh itself from business,” and “In short, I say that as a city we are the school of Hellas, while I doubt if the world can produce a man who, where he has only…
In the history of the ancient Greek civilization, there were many powerful and contributing men and women. Only one could be called the “Greatest Greek” and that man’s name is Pericles. Pericles was a wise and powerful leader of the city of Athens. He was a great supporter of the concept of democracy. Pericles guided Athens almost through the entire Peloponnesian War. Pericles promoted the arts and literature. This was a main reason Athens held the reputation of being the educational and cultural centre of the ancient Greek world.…
To begin there is Pericles’ Funeral Oration written by Thucydides, which documents a speech that Pericles used to address a crowd in Athens, comparing Athens to most notably, Sparta. It is evident that Athenians were certain that Athens was the greatest, “When you realize her greatness,…
Another important contribution of Ancient Greek to the Western Culture is democracy. To the Greeks, democracy meant “peoples rule”. Pericles Funeral Oration, given to the Athenians in about 430 BC was the greatest contribution to our today’s society. Pericles said “Our plan of government favors the many instead of the few: that is why it is called a democracy…” Pericles was describing a democracy where everyone had an equal opportunity to advance and serve his or her country. However, everyone was expected to partake in civic affairs regardless their social class or position (Doc. 4). This contributed enormously on the society because the democratic society is a direct democracy. But at the same time, people are able to impeach powerful heads. The Funeral Operation gives citizens the idea of keeping their government a democracy rather than a…