The most important thing to remember about the Funeral Oration is that it is a speech, intended to persuade its listeners. Pericles praises Athens so that people will keep fighting; he praises the sacrifices of the dead so that others will imitate them.
What was Pericles famous speech?
In 431 BCE the Athenian statesman Pericles delivered one of the most influential speeches of all time, his Epitaphios or Funeral Oration. The occasion was at the funeral of the first Athenian soldiers to lose their lives in the Peloponnesian War.
What did Pericles say in his Funeral Oration?
In his speech, Pericles states that the citizens of Athens must continue to support the war. He wanted to emphasis that what they were fighting for was of the upmost importance. He stated that the soldiers who died gave their lives to protect the city of Athens, its citizens, and its freedom.
Who painted Pericles Funeral Oration?
Philipp Foltz
Pericles’ Funeral Oration painted by Philipp Foltz in 1852. Editors Note: Democracy had its beginnings in Athens around 500 B.C. Athens and its ally, king- led Sparta, defeated the Persians at different times over the next 20 years.
What is the meaning of funeral oration?
A funeral oration or epitaphios logos (Greek: ἐπιτάφιος λόγος) is a formal speech delivered on the ceremonial occasion of a funeral. Funerary customs comprise the practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from the funeral itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honour.
Why is Athens worth dying for according to Pericles?
Pericles wanted to convince the people of Athens that their city is worth dying for. To do this he talks about the ancestors and how their land has been passed down from generation to generation. Athens government and military is considerably different from their neighbors.
Why did Pericles give a speech?
The Athenian leader is giving this speech at a funeral because he is using this occasion to tell his people about the importance of democracy, also pay respects to the ones who died in this war. After all it was the first Peloponnesian war that the Athenian had.
Did Pericles’ Funeral Oration inspire later political speeches?
And it is that many later speeches of politicians of the culture that emanates from Ancient Greece, were inspired or directly copied parts of the funeral oration of Pericles. Statue of ancient Athens statesman Pericles. Photo: markara/Shutterstock.com
Are there any funeral orations from ancient Athens?
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. The Funeral Oration was recorded by Thucydides in book two of his famous History of the Peloponnesian War.
What is Thucydides funeral speech about democracy?
Thucydides’ funeral speech about democracy delivered by Pericles. Under the hands of Pericles, Thucydides thought democracy could be controlled, but without him, it could be dangerous. Despite Thucydides’ attitude towards democracy, the speech he puts in Pericles’ mouth supports the democratic form of government.
What is the significance of the funeral oration?
The Funeral Oration is significant because it differs from the usual form of Athenian funeral speeches. David Cartwright describes it as “a eulogy of Athens itself…”. The speech glorifies Athens’ achievements, designed to stir the spirits of a state still at war.
