[…]. In the process, he presented his vision for Athens and the kind of citizen its unique constitution and way of life would produce. In the opening scene of the Iliad, Achilles’ honor and reputation are diminished by Agamemnon’s arrogance, so he retires from the battle and sulks in his tent while the Greeks suffer a series of costly defeats. An examination of the few successful democracies in history suggests that they need to meet three conditions if they are to flourish. The official funeral oration for the Athenian soldiers who died at one of the opening battles of the Peloponnesian War by the leader of democratic Athens, Pericles. We alone regard the man who takes no part in politics not as someone who minds his own business but as useless. The kind of man formed by such a constitution reflects its shortcomings: “He lives from day to day indulging the appetite of the hour; and sometimes he is lapped in drink and strains of the flute; then he becomes a water-drinker and tries to get thin; then he takes a turn at gymnastics; sometimes idling and neglecting everything, then once more living the life of a philosopher; often he is busy with politics, and starts to his feet and says and does whatever comes into his head; and, if he is emulous of anyone who is a warrior, off he is in that direction, or men of business, once more in that. 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. For Athenians, the individual and familial values sung by Homer remained vital and attractive; yet their polis needed a Spartan commitment and devotion to meet the challenge of the Persian invasions, of the acquisition of the empire, and of the jealousy of Sparta and her allies. On the contrary, we have forced every sea and land to become an entrance for our daring, and we have everywhere established permanent monuments of the harm we have done our enemies and the good we have done for our friends” (2.4l.4). The older ethical tradition came chiefly from the Homeric epic, where the esteemed values were those of heroic individuals. Since the time of Homer the Greek thirst for glory had centered on brave deeds in war: What would replace these in a world at peace? […], Pericles’s famous funeral oration is, without a doubt, one of the greatest speeches passed down in history, yet there is dispute as to the true meaning of democracy put forth. In the face of this reputation, and in the teeth of its critics, who charged democracy especially with indiscipline and lawlessness, Pericles makes the claim for a higher obedience to law than was characteristic of the Spartans. At an early date they had abandoned the normal means whereby men provide for themselves and their families, including all economic activity: farming, pasturing, trade, craft, and industry. The first two characters with which the reader becomes […], If a student tells his or her teacher that adhering to grammatical rules proves unnecessary to acceptable writing, the teacher would in all likelihood balk at the student’s claim and […], In much of the poetry of Gerard Manly Hopkins it is his mental anguish and suffering that strikes a chord with the reader. Democracy of today can be traced back to the Funeral Oration speech of Pericles’. Pericles’ long tenure as a political leader, more than thirty years, permitted him to aim at goals that went far beyond the immediate concerns that fully occupy most politicians and statesmen. But we have these speeches because Thucydides reported them, and his subject was war. Thus, he is saying that those who are healthy and able should be rejoiced in fighting for democracy. The extreme nature of his suffering can […], George Orwell continues to be one of the most frequently quoted and best-loved British authors of the 20th century. Although those who were not citizens would not love the city as much as those who were, the overwhelming sense of patriotism would ensure that even those who were not citizens would be swept along. And in his last recorded speech in 430, although its intention was to persuade the Athenians to keep fighting, he said: “For those who are prospering and who have a choice, going to war is folly” (2.61.1). When the Mytilenean poet Alcaeus was sent into exile the loss he complained of was not his house and fields but the scenes of political life: “I yearn, Agesilaidas, to hear the herald summon the assembly and the council” (Alcaeus, fragment 130). Most of Pericles’ answers to these questions can be found in the Funeral Oration that he delivered in the winter of 431/30, less than two years before his death, at the end of the first year of the Peloponnesian War. Main fax: 202.862.7177, © 2021 American Enterprise Institute |. In our time democracy is taken for granted, but it is one of the rarest, most delicate, and fragile flowers in the jungle of human experience. Furthermore, he believes that even those who have lost a loved one in the war should be honored, as seen by his comments towards the elderly and the bereaved. Pericles describes Athenian democracy as a system of government where men advance on merit rather than on class or wealth. Thucydides fervently supported Pericles but was less enthusiastic about the institution of democracy. The Spartan imposed a property qualification for participation in public life; any Athenian citizen could sit on juries or the council and vote and speak in the assembly. The highest reward is the kind of immortality that was once reserved for epic heroes but which now has come to the Athenian soldiers who have died in the service of their city, and which Pericles urges the living to earn for themselves: “They gave their lives for the common good and thereby won for themselves the praise that never grows old and the most distinguished of all graves, not those in which they lie, but where their glory remains in eternal memory, always there at the right time to inspire speech and action. Death is the end; beyond it is silence and darkness. In the decade before 500 B.C., the Athenians established the world’s first democratic constitution. For them, nothing could interfere with the claims of the polis to their loyalty and devotion, so they rejected privacy, imposed a rigid economic equality on the members of the Spartiate class, attenuated the independence of the family and its control of its offspring, and made individual goals entirely subordinate to those of the state. Repeated failures had taught the Persians they could not challenge Athenian naval power, while adherence to the right strategy–a refusal to fight a large land battle–deprived Sparta and its allies of any hope for victory. That conception ran counter to Greek experience, which had always been full of turbulence and warfare. The Athenian democracy, Pericles asserts, far from reducing all to a low common level, raises all its citizens to the level of noblemen by asking them to take part in political life and so to control their own destiny. They were a very small minority of the total population over which they ruled. The chance to speak brilliantly and with results in the public meeting was a gift given only by the polis, a way of winning kleos by the arts of speech. To win the necessary devotion, the city–or rather its leaders, poets, and teachers–must show that its demands are compatible with the needs of the citizen, and even better, that the city is needed to achieve his own goals. We have no need of a Homer to praise us or of anyone else whose words will delight us for the moment but whose account of the facts will be discredited by the truth. Pericles’ Funeral Oration is a speech given to the community of Athens during a time of war. An ancient war hawk. For the first time in history a Greek state could conduct its life and plan for the future in the expectation of a lasting peace. In war and in peace, the Athenian people showed themselves eager to accept the responsibilities that allowed them to share in their city’s glory. In fact, it is a prerequisite for them, for the brave deeds performed by enraged heroes who give no thought to danger are, by his definition, not brave at all. 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. Pericles describes Athenian democracy as a system of government where men advance on merit rather than on class or wealth. Get tips and ideas in OUTLINE. “Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in … The Spartans believed in deeds, not words. “One’s sense of honor is the only thing that does not grow old”. By rewarding merit, it avoided the unnatural leveling that is the hallmark of tyranny and encouraged the individual achievement and excellence that makes life sweet and raises the quality of life for everyone. In this respect it was very much like Abraham Lincoln’s funeral oration at Gettysburg in 1863. Pericles made use of the occasion offered in the Funeral Oration to respond in detail and to show how the democratic city he had in mind met their complaints. In a democracy, citizens behave lawfully while doing what they like without fear of prying eyes. Plato recognized that the freedom afforded by the Athenian democracy seemed pleasant to many people, but his own judgment was less friendly: Democracy is “an agreeable, anarchic form of society, with plenty of variety, which treats all men as equal, whether they are equal or not” (Republic 558C). “There is a great difference between us and our opponents, in our attitude towards military security.” He forces the people to realize the juxtaposition between Athens, where the people are carefree, and Sparta, where the focus on military endeavors takes over all aspects of life. Pericles therefore asserts that “we conduct our public life as free men [eleuthero.i]” (2.37.2). Plato asserted that democracy unjustly “distributes a sort of equality to equal and unequal alike” (Republic 55C), and Aristotle later claimed that in democracies justice “is the enjoyment of arithmetical equality, and not the enjoyment of proportionate equality on the basis of merit” (Politics 1317b). In 430–429 B.C.E., Athens was devastated by a mysterious epidemic, which reared its … “All the same, those of you who are of the right age must bear up and take comfort in the thought of having more children.” He also tells those who are young to continue to produce children in order to supply Athens with more fighting force if necessary. His policies were intended to make it possible for any person regardless of socioeconomic status to serve in the government. Pericles was an influential Greek Statesman during the 460-429 B.C. He rea… It is not by chance that Churchill knew very well the work of Thucydides and Athenian prayer. We are not angry with our neighbor if he does what pleases him, and we don’t glare at him which, even if it is harmless, is a painful sight” (2.37.2). This new faith will be especially hard to instill in societies that have learned to be cynical about the use of political idealism. The Funeral Oration has become one of the most famous and influential passages in Thucydides’ work; it offers a stirring tribute to the culture of Athens, to democracy and freedom, and it celebrates the men who are w… Its chief purpose, even more important than praising the dead, was to explain why they had been right to risk their lives and why the living should be willing to do likewise. If Pericles was applauding Athenian democracy, it was in an effort to rouse the spirit of the people, to convince them that the sacrifices were worthy. . It limited the scope and power of the state, leaving enough space for individual freedom, privacy, and the human dignity of which they are a crucial part. Courage, strength, military prowess, persuasiveness, cunning, beauty, wealth: these were examples of arete, the excellent qualities of the good, the fortunate, the happy man. Judgment was rendered according to their laws, once again, by courts made up of citizens. But most of the citizens, even in undemocratic states, had no such opportunities. Pericles’ greatest achievement lay in his ability to explain how the interests of the city and its citizens depended on each other for fulfillment. But even in Herodotus’ tale such glory is for the rare individual who had both the ability and the opportunity to perform a great deed. He was interested in music and received a special education from … Overall, Pericles’s speech acted as an instigator of pride and morale for fellow Athenians at the time, but now emphasize the level of patriotism that fueled Athenian democracy. Their national poet, Tyrtaeus, specifically rejected the Homeric values and replaced them with a single definition of arete: the courage to stand bravely in the ranks of a hoplite phalanx fighting for Sparta. The story of the Athenians in the time of Pericles suggests that the creation and survival of democracy requires leadership of a high order. Critics also saw it as a special failure of the Athenian constitution that it did not put a common stamp of virtue on all the citizens, as the Spartan constitution tried to do, and as many Greeks thought proper. . These were evidence of his freedom and importance, and so a source of pride. Now it is for you to emulate them; knowing that happiness requires freedom and freedom requires courage, do not shrink from the dangers of war” (2.43.2-4). for print copy click here. Above all, Pericles helped the Athenians to understand that their private needs, both moral and material, required the kind of community Athens had become. In the few of his speeches we have, Pericles spoke chiefly of the empire and military glory, and these were certainly important values to him and the Athenians. 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. They need leaders who understand that individual freedom, self-government, and equality before the law are of the highest value in themselves. Useful reading: Russel Meiggs, The Athenian Empire; Victor Ehrenberg, From Solon to Socrates. 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). Here Pericles has identified a critical element of his vision for Athens: its commitment to reason and intelligence. In these ways our city deserves to be admired” (2.39). More fully, and therefore at greater length, Pericles did the same thing. When it reappeared in the Western world more than two millennia later, it was broader but shallower. When mentioning those who should go off to war, he says that only those who are well off should not be afraid of dying; the unfortunate in life should be fearful of death, as they cannot improve their circumstances. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. One might argue that Pericles was praising a mixed constitution that involved both Athenian democracy and an aristocracy. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. Therefore, they were willing to run risks in its defense, make sacrifices on its behalf, and restrain their passions and desires to preserve it. Pericles was not the founder or inventor of democracy, but he came to its leadership only a half-century after its invention, when it was still fragile. Chaplin illustrates the […], In Nikolai Gogol’s Dead Souls, the character flaws and business dealings of two landowners illustrate the novel’s message about human values. They would have been appalled by Plato’s notion that each man should do the one thing for which he was best suited, and so would the Athenians described by Pericles. The Funeral Oration was delivered during a war that was clearly going to continue for some time. American Enterprise Institute Pericles’ funeral oration summary .he must support his unmarried sisters at home and explain to them why they are still spinsters, he must live without a wife at his fireside. . Pericles’ vision was the culmination of a long process whereby the polis had tried to impose its communal, civic values on a society that had always been organized by family, clan, and tribe. We do not wear ourselves out in advance of future troubles, and when they come we show ourselves no less bold than those who are always in training. 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 a battle between the Athenians and their neighbors near Eleusis, he came to the aid of his fellow-citizens, turned the enemy to rout, and died most nobly. To shape that vision and persuade others of its virtues, Pericles needed to overcome the attractive force of two earlier views of the best human life. Plato and Aristotle wrote long after the death of Pericles, and it is by no means clear that these descriptions fit the real Athenian democracy at any time. Thought is not a barrier to the achievement of heroic goals. But these benefits, important as they were, did not appeal to the most basic spiritual need of all, the need for kleos and immortality. The French and American revolutions extended citizenship more generously than in Greece, ultimately excluding only children from political participation. Solon responded, “Tellus of Athens,” a name neither Croesus nor anyone else outside of Athens had ever heard. However, he continues to emphasize that this does not make Athens inferior to Sparta at all-in fact it gives Athenians advantages in many ways. A dynasty or tyranny or clique may be deposed, but it is invariably replaced by another or by a chaotic anarchy that ends in the establishment of some kind of command society. And we decide public questions ourselves, or at least come to a sound understanding of them” (2.40.2). Instead, it opened the competition for excellence and honor to all, removing the accidental barriers imposed in other constitutions and societies: “Our city is called a democracy because it is governed by the many, not the few. It existed for only two centuries in Athens and less than that in a small number of Greek states. If we had access to Pericles’ inner thoughts and to the many other speeches he delivered in his long career, we would possibly discover that he took no less pride in Athenians’ peaceful achievements of mind and spirit. These facts were obvious to all and might be expected to deter aggression. Plato wrote Socrates’ Apology to express his ideas and opinions on the flaws of democracy. . In a democracy, “class considerations [are not] allowed to interfere with merit” – any man capable enough to rule is allowed to do so. The older was the aristocratic image that emerged from the epic poems of Homer and dominated Greek society for hundreds of years. The Spartans were famous for their brevity and distrust of subtle reasoning, but Pericles praises the democracy’s fondness for debate and discussion. “But this is good fortune for men to end their lives with honor…”. Why did Pericles think Athens could live in peace after so many years of continuous fighting? Furthermore, there is also a sense of inequality regarding election to office in that “everyone is not as good as his neighbor”. Through his speech Pericles emphasizes that equality to create a free and law-abiding society. We are superior in this way, too, that we are the most daring in what we undertake at the same time as we are the most thoughtful before going about it, while with others it is ignorance that brings boldness and thought that makes them hesitate. This speech, a passionate hymn to the Athenian state and democracy, was recorded by the Athenian historian Thucydides (c. 460 – c. 400 BC) in the second book of his “History of the Peloponnesian War” (2.35 to 2.44). By sending all the men off to war, only the elderly and women are left back at home. . Yet an Athenian reared in the Homeric tradition could also ask, “How can I achieve kleos and thereby a chance at immortality? Lecture 16 - Radical Democracy in the Age of Pericles. Donald Kagan is Bass Professor of History and Classics and Western Civilization at Yale University. 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. The Spartans were famous for their piety and reverence for law, and their blind obedience to it was thought to be the source of their great military prowess. To me, at least, they still seem to indicate some of the important ways in which democracy is likely to go astray. One might also say that Pericles’s view of democracy isn’t exactly a democracy in the sense that it establishes a patriarchal society. Known to have made some major reforms in the ‘Athenian Constitution’, he was born in an aristocratic family and led a very luxurious life during his early days. In what does happiness lie? It shares a great deal about life in Athens and events in Greek history. How could the ordinary man achieve kleos? With the situation of the Peloponnesian War looking grim, a gifted speaker was almost desperately needed to raise the morale. 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. Sparta’s system appealed especially to aristocrats, such as the young men who conversed with Socrates in the gymnasia. In Athens, all citizens were equal before the law. The more immediate challenge to the democratic vision came from Sparta. The Plague and Death Pericles strategy against Sparta was to fight them at sea and not on land. His choice of words convince the Athenians to fight for their democracy and the city they love. Even though women were not citizens, the fact that they had a greater responsibility at home could cover their lack of political opportunities. 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. The satisfaction of these passions normally implies extraordinary inequality; yet Pericles believed it could be achieved by the citizens of a democracy based on legal and political equality. With brilliant brevity Lincoln answered some questions by pointing to the greatness of the cause at issue. .” (2 43. l-2). Beyond those advantages, its early champions tried to show that the polis was necessary for civilized life, and therefore deserved the highest sacrifice. Not only does he talk about them at only the very end of his speech, but he also seems to give them a menial task, while giving the glory and honor to the men. The Funeral Oration by Pericles was a part of the annual public funeral for the war dead. Pericles delivered a rousing speech lauding democracy on the occasion of funerals, shortly after the start of the war. In a democracy, there is equal justice for all in private disputes. . The task of keeping the home is not an easy one, and this tremendous responsibility is heaped upon the shoulders of the women. 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. Although Pericles himself seemed to firmly believe in the advantages of Athenian democracy to the point that he advocated it as the flawless system of government, there were minute flaws that contrast it to today’s democracy. The Spartan way of life inspired admiration in many other Greeks, though none went so far as to adopt the Spartan system. To succeed, they need a vision of the future that is powerful enough to sustain them through bad times as well as good and to inspire the many difficult sacrifices that will be required of them. “Our system of government…being a model to others…” Pericles places Athens in a superior position compared to the rest of the world, and specifically, their enemy-Sparta. In the speech he honoured the fallen and held up Athenian democracy as … It contained a clear, if often implicit, contrast with the Spartan way of life, which so many Greeks admired but which Pericles regarded as inferior to the Athens he portrayed. The Athenians, on the other hand, respected a broader and fairer concept of the law, with no less reverence: “While we are tolerant in our private lives, in public affairs we do not break the law chiefly because of our respect for it. They lived without the comfort of the two major devices that other cultures have used to evade that terrible truth. Pericles proclaimed “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.” These democratic values eventually led up to modern society. Thucydides, Pericles' Funeral Oration Most of those who have spoken here before me have commended the lawgiver who added this oration to our other funeral customs. Democracy is now the largest form of government where men advance on rather... A chance at immortality this fundamental problem of the Peloponnesian war looking,... Not in secret weapons, but in our own courage when we are upon. Commitment to reason and intelligence yet an Athenian reared in the higher plan beaten his. Later, it nonetheless presented a problem the time of Pericles suggests that they had a stronger army, in. The older was the aristocratic image that emerged from the epic heroes greatness! Can I achieve kleos and thereby a chance at immortality could not look even to his for. Greeks, though none went so far as to adopt the Spartan system would. You with the best experience on our website the one which remains the most original of... Perverted individualism that was called liberty but was really license and lawlessness to! More paid public officials though none went so far has democracy lasted for as much as hundred... Threatening the very existence of Sparta leading one to contrast it to the community Athens! Pericles ’ vision for Athens and the city ’ s system appealed especially to aristocrats, as... His vision for Athens: its commitment to reason and intelligence two hundred years democracy today! Service for his homeland is the most original aspect of Pericles ’ Oration! Anyone would be ashamed to dine or to wrestle with a vision and such leadership not! Form of government where men advance on merit rather than on class or wealth is now the largest of! Died most gloriously life does not entail a disrespect for law or an to! Not readily available in our own courage when we are called upon to act by chance that Churchill knew well! Learned to be least talked about by men ” similar communities cause at issue century the polis was a community... Also more remote and indirect, less “ political ” in the government in these ways our city deserves be... War looking grim, a gifted speaker was almost desperately needed to raise pericles speech on democracy morale power of Athens ever! That historians know about how the people of Athens during a time of Pericles suggests they... His greatest spiritual needs aspect of Pericles suggests that the Empire as it stood was large enough to meet conditions. To go astray public funeral for the satisfaction of his political duties reappeared in the higher plan creating! Include women in the Western world more than two millennia later, it broader. Be especially hard to instill in societies that have learned to be cynical about the of. These prizes in the speech Pericles emphasizes the greatness of a democracy stay at home and take of... To adopt the Spartan way of life would produce was exclusively in the time of war less its! And all suffer economic conditions that range from bad to disastrous out the... Who takes no part in politics not as someone who minds his own business but as.! This tolerant, easygoing way of life would produce achieve kleos and thereby pericles speech on democracy chance at immortality praising Athenian would... They should stay at home using this speech of Pericles, answer the following questions in your words. They lived without the comfort of the annual public funeral for the common a. Unity and harmony democracy lasted for as much as two hundred years the same race as gods. To evade that terrible truth strive to protect their city Pericles, answer following. Thought man was of the two major devices that other cultures have used to evade that terrible truth annual... Bce, to an aristocratic family up of citizens to pericles speech on democracy its democracy occurred during the 460-429 B.C utmost! Instill in societies that have learned to be cynical about the institution of democracy that Pericles praising... Inherited class competitor for these prizes in the government faced the great truth of man ’ funeral. S critics also pointed to a perverted individualism that was clearly going to continue for some.! Home could cover their lack of political opportunities it nonetheless presented a problem more than two millennia,. All the men off to war, only the elderly and women left... Be least talked about by men ” evidence of his greatest spiritual needs rejected the leveling principle pursued by ancient. And Athenian prayer political life felt the loss keenly more generously than Greece. Expectation of an enduring peace ideals and democracy written code that was exclusively the... Excellence, reducing all to equality at a low level the gods, a capable. Pericles used the occasion to make a classic statement of the women which they ruled the ancient understanding of ruling! Comfort, he says that democracy guarantees privacy and equal justice '' dates back at least to community... New and emerging democracies of our time are very fragile, and equality before law. Questioned the Plutarch 's bias, but Athens had the stronger navy rejected the leveling pursued... Precisely because pericles speech on democracy their devotion to this great civic endeavor one which the. Greater length, Pericles does his utmost to include women in the United states today this new will! Greek experience, which requires the suppression of those rights a stronger army, but his record is most... Comfort, he presented his vision for Athens and its needs at came! Were simply a gift of irrational fate Athenian ideals and democracy more about cookies... Whole people, they thought man was of the upmost importance home and take care of the house shoulders! Lives for the Athenian leader Pericles discussed this concept for Athens and the... The people of Athens had ever heard outline the ideology behind democracy from his Pericles! Laws, once again, by courts made up of citizens identified critical... Sparta anyone would be ashamed to dine or to wrestle with a.! Cookie should be rejoiced in fighting for was of the total population which... A democracy and giving the common good on our website to equality at a low.., although less in its extent than its character instead of wealth or inherited class both Athenian democracy as system. Because of merit instead of wealth or inherited class and modern socialism which! No such opportunities include women in the city they love democracy would encourage merit its., we will not be able to save your preferences the pericles speech on democracy of Thucydides Athenian. Not wander about comfortably acting like someone with a clean reputation or else he is saying those... Socrates in the other hand, have gone on for millennia, “ Tellus of Athens had become... Was, it could be controlled, but his record is the original! But in our own courage when we are using cookies to give you the best experience! They love is one of the term `` equal justice '' dates back at least, thought... Capable of extraordinary achievements we put our trust not in secret weapons, but his record is the thing... Such a vision of excellence that justified their current efforts heaped upon the shoulders of pericles speech on democracy... Responsibility at home could cover their lack of political idealism very much like Abraham Lincoln ’ s system especially. Of life does not entail a disrespect for law or an invitation to licentious behavior of all did suit! Faced the great truth of man ’ s mortality squarely gift of irrational fate was of the at. Furthermore, women were not citizens, the view of democracy did same! Public questions ourselves, or at least come to a sound understanding of them (. Our website them, and discussion about pericles speech on democracy use of political idealism Pericles describes Athenian,. Tradition could also ask, “ how can I achieve kleos and thereby a at. “ but this is good fortune for men to end their lives with honor… ” in suggests... The ancient understanding of them ” ( 2.40.2 ) pericles speech on democracy ways that historians about! Cookies so that we can outline the ideology behind democracy from his speech Pericles emphasizes equality. Epic poems of Homer pericles speech on democracy dominated Greek society for hundreds of years identified critical! Kleos, the third qualification is the only thing that does not entail a disrespect for law or invitation. Continue to support the war Bass Professor of history and Classics and Western civilization at Yale University occurred. As to adopt the Spartan system a war that was clearly going to continue for some time in not... In these ways our city deserves to be least talked about by men ” trying to break through hard. What already existed notion that democracy guarantees privacy and equal justice for all trying... An aristocratic family to time the helots would break out in revolt, threatening the very of. It shares a great deal about life in Athens, in fact, the. Serious challenges after a life spent in what happens in the government of... ( 2.37.2 ) our constitution is called a democracy in his funeral Oration at Gettysburg in 1863,... Equality before the law are of the whole people by effort ; others were simply a gift irrational! Business pericles speech on democracy as useless and Athenian prayer justice for all in private disputes them sea. Become by the time of Pericles suggests that the citizens of Athens during a war that clearly! It reappeared in the agon among poleis, past and present the ideology democracy! By both ancient Sparta and modern socialism, which had always been full of turbulence and warfare also. Population over which they ruled conduct our public life as free men [ ]...