Pericles Funeral Oration In The Peloponnesian War

In the History of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides recreates Pericles’ well-known funeral oration that was given at the end of the first year of the war. Funeral orations were traditionally delivered to honor the fallen in Athen’s many wars and campaigns against other countries. Thucydides remarks on this tradition, claiming that, “[the chosen orator] makes an appropriate speech in praise of the dead.” (2,34). Pericles’ oration differs from the typical arrangement of Athenian funeral speeches, and is instead designed to stir the spirit of the state through the glorification of Athen’s unique and storied nature and achievements. Pericles’ deviation in his oration suggests that Athens has reached the point where it no longer requires the assistance or favor of the gods. Thus, this eulogy serves as a clear expression of the Athenian ideal and he makes extensive use of this “myth of Athens” to rouse his audience into battle. …show more content…
Instead of making an immediate appeal for his people to go into battle, Pericles discusses the difficulty of properly honoring the dead. Speak too little, and you risk offending those who knew the deceased best. Say too much and risk bringing about envy from those who knew them not. Pericles says that this problem arises because “[p]raise of other people is tolerable only up to a certain point, the point where one still believes that one could do oneself some of the things one is hearing about. Once you get beyond this point, you will find people becoming jealous and incredulous.” (2,35). Pericles knows his audience well and it is for this reason that he begins the oration on this note. He must fulfill the traditional role of the funeral oration before he can introduce his intended