Pericles’ Funeral Oration
Pericles, the most revolutionary figure ever found in the history of Ancient Greece was born of a distinguished family about 494 B.C. probably in the country house of his father in the plain near Athens. Pericles’s father, Xanthippos, was a rising general and politician. His mother Agariste, also bore strong family values, descending from the house of Alkmeonidai. She was the niece of the great Athenian reformer, Clisthenes (“Biography of Pericles”). Pericles took the foundational education as per customs of Athens. Anaxagoras was the most esteemed teachers of Pericles.
Pericles succeeded to fill up the position of a son and a leader who had the abilities to reflect sagaciousness, sensibility and the mettle to face tough conditions and to find the ways out of the tough scenarios. It is worth noticing that Pericles had an elder brother too, Ariphrons, but as seen in different historical accounts, it seems that Ariphrons’ personality was inimical and undergird to the spell of Pericles’ audaciousness and invincibility.
Pericles had also a brother named Ariphron, no doubt an elder brother, since the eldest son usually bore his grandfather’s name; and in having to play second fiddle to his brother, who was an entirely mediocre person, one may perhaps find that touch of repression in early childhood that is so common in the career of a successful man of action. (Burn 2)
Pericles had unyielding spirit of patriotism towards Athens. At the time, when Aristides had just died; Themistocles had been put to exile and Cimon was fighting outside the country, Pericles rose up to the picture of Politics of Athens as a mainstream and politically sound regent. He played an exemplary role in infusing his brain child concept of modernized democracy where, according to him, Government was bound to turn to the people the same way as masses used to cut off their priorities to pay taxes to the national exchequer. This notion and inclination towards inculcating the sense of ownership and selflessness on every unit of the state brought meritorious admiration and trust to the shoulders of Pericles. Crossing over to the Corridors of consecration and support wasn’t easy for a newly winded voice of Pericles as he belonged to a not so rich or an influential family but his sense of affiliation and revolution brought a touch of identity to the whole Athens. He emphasized on the generality of the government leaving no room for casting any peculiar interest or whims.
Pericles condemned and managed to overthrow the oligarchy by passing decree to the Areopagas using his association with Ephialtes, an early leader of the democratic movement, to diminish the political powers of the traditional bastion of conservatism in 465 B.C… In the same picture, Cimon, son of Miltiades who was fined for 50 talents for he was accused of treason to the Athenian state, was put to exile as he conglomerated with Spartans in the wake of helot uprising. By his natural unconventional shot, Pericles managed to bring back Cimon and started efforts to mediate the issues of Hellenic states and turned every rock to bring the discrete autonomies under the umbrella of a one strong Greece nation, aiming to front any possible aggression.
As efforts were being done for securing some breath of peace amid the Hellenic states, Spartan hosted the conspiracies to bring this surge of unison to end. Behind this, aristocratic mind sets seeking ventilation in neighbors of Athens were playing the role of a chameleon.
Spartan aristocrats were utterly incapable of morally appreciating such exalted patriotism, or of understanding the political necessity for it and by their secret intrigues brought the well planned scheme to naught (“Biography of Pericles”)
This fever heating of the ties brought the two entities to brink of a possible war in future — the Peloponnesian war. In 445 B.C., the situation became really challenging for Pericles as Spartans allied with the insurgents because they couldn’t endure the emblematic philosophy of democracy of Pericles echoing across the Hellenic states. Following which, an insurrection began in different territories of Athens such as Megara, Eubea etc. Pericles ascertained that it was not easy for Athens to fight back the brewing threat to the state of Athens. Materializing the Divide and Conquer strategy, Pericles sent 10 talents as bribe to Spartans and succeeded to cross them off the picture. Spartans returned back to home. Later on, Insurgents were met with no mercy and were thoroughly crushed by Pericles’ courage ridden fleet.
As Crimson was dead near the mid 5th B.C., Thucydides led to hold the aristocratic mind set to his woos. He was the son of Milesias. He tried hard to dismantle the political of Pericles by alleging him of the charges of prodigalizing public money on personal engrossment and holding festivities. This dialogue happened in the backdrop of a very powerful assembly.
Since Thucydides describes the rule of Pericles as an aristocratical government, that went by the name of a democracy, but was, indeed, the supremacy of a single great man, while many others say, on the contrary, that by him the common people were first encouraged and led on to such evils as appropriations of subject territory, allowances for attending theatres, payments for performing public duties, and by these bad habits were, under the influence of his public measures, changed from a sober, thrifty people, that maintained themselves by their own labours, to lovers of expense, intemperance, and licence. (Clough, and Plutarch 188)
In this premise, Pericles clarified his position as a true democratic spirit by enunciating his idea of the generality of the government that the aristocratic despots were so afraid of. In reply to the allegations of Thucydides, he succeeded to hurl tremendous appreciation by saying that he would utilize his expenses only if the people would allow him to put his name on the buildings and other belongings not theirs. This sarcasm not only brought a logical end to the ideology of aristocracy, thereby ostracizing of Thucydides, but the emergence of a new and visionary state of Athens, rendering it consecrate to Hellas.
Athens had become the envy of the world, partly because of its wealth, partly because of its splendor, partly because of the freedom enjoyed by its citizens. Athens’ navy was unrivaled, its empire unparalleled, its civic and cultural institutions unequalled. The city was “open to the world,” a cosmopolitan center; political life was “free and open,” as was private life: “We do not get into a state with our next-door neighbor,” Pericles said, “if he enjoys himself in his own way.” (Kimball)
During the period of Pericles ‘dominance, Arts and Sculpture took new heights of perfection and creativity. Athenian teachers used to teach in schools of Rome, despite the much agony between the Empires. He also encouraged music, drama and aesthetics. Pericles believed that the Athenians owed Parthenon, Propylae, the Odeum and numberless other public and sacred edifices (“Biography of Pericles”).
In 431 B.C., Peloponnesian war broke out and it brought tremors to the sovereignty of Athens. Spartans initially invaded the city of Attica with gruel some force. Seeing this, Pericles castled up the rural population. The Athenian forces fought back and resultantly bagged the victory off Naupactus.
Meanwhile a plague (perhaps bubonic) wiped out (430 — 428) probably a quarter of the population of Athens, and Pericles died. His successor, Cleon, won a great victory at Sphacteria (now Sfaktiria) and refused a Spartan bid for peace. (“Peloponnesian War”)
Pericles before his death in 429 B.C., delivered an eulogy for war dead Athenian soldiers leaving a great impact on the minds of his Athenian people. His style in the funeral oration was that of a hero who wanted to transcend his immaculate philosophy and vision of democratic Athens to the war torn people. He wanted to immortalize the concept of his way of democracy; the democracy resting on the foundation of freedom and tolerance. He didn’t just portray any political arrangement rather he preached his public of a new way of life. As he said,” We (Athenians ) are free and tolerant in our private lives; but in public affairs we keep to the law.” In another extract, he addressed to his public in this way,
If we look to the laws, they afford equal justice to all in their private differences…if a man is able to serve the state, he is not hindered by the obscurity of his condition. The freedom we enjoy in our government extends also to our ordinary life. There, far from exercising a jealous surveillance over each other, we do not feel called upon to be angry with our neighbor for doing what he likes… (“Pericles’ funeral Oration”)
His words gave the foundation to the recurring modern world phrase “Equal justice under law.” Pericles also exhorted the Athenians to live up to the standard of soldiers who had given their lives in the initial battles of Peloponnesian war.
Works Cited
Clough, Arthur Hugh, and Plutarch. Plutarch: The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans. Trans. John Dryden. New York: Modern Library, 1932. Questia. Web. 14 Sept. 2011.
“Peloponnesian War.” The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. 2009. Questia. Web. 14 Sept. 2011.
Kimball, Roger. “Freedom and Duty: Pericles and Our Times.” The National Interest Spring 2002: 81+. Questia. Web. 14 Sept. 2011.
“Biography of Pericles.” Sacklunch. 14 Sept. 2011. http://www.sacklunch.net/biography/P/Pericles.html
“Pericles’ funeral Oration.” Wikipedia. 14 Sept. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pericles’_Funeral_Oration
Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply
Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?
Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.
Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?
- Plagiarism free papers
- Timely delivery
- Any deadline
- Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
- Subject-relevant academic writer
- Adherence to paper instructions
- Ability to tackle bulk assignments
- Reasonable prices
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Get superb grades consistently
Online Academic Help With Different Subjects
Literature
Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.
Finance
Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.
Computer science
Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!
Psychology
While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.
Engineering
Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.
Nursing
In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.
Sociology
Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.
Business
We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!
Statistics
We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.
Law
Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.
What discipline/subjects do you deal in?
We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.
Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?
Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.
What if I don’t like the paper?
There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.
Reasons being:
- When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
- We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.
In the event that you don’t like your paper:
- The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
- We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
- Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.
Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?
Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.
What if the paper is plagiarized?
We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.
When will I get my paper?
You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.
Will anyone find out that I used your services?
We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.
How our Assignment Help Service Works
1. Place an order
You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.
2. Pay for the order
Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.
3. Track the progress
You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.
4. Download the paper
The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.
PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!
