Pericles's Funeral Oration facts for kids
The Pericles's Funeral Oration (in Ancient Greek: Περικλέους Επιτάφιος) is a very famous speech. It comes from Thucydides' book, History of the Peloponnesian War. This speech was supposedly given by Pericles. He was an important Athenian leader. He gave it at the end of the first year of the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC). It was part of a yearly public funeral for soldiers who died in the war.
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What Was the Funeral Oration About?
This speech is special because it was different from other Athenian funeral speeches. It was a big praise of Athens itself. The speech celebrated Athens' achievements. It was meant to make the people feel proud and strong during the war.
Why Was This Speech Given?
By the late 5th century BC, it was a tradition in Athens to have a public funeral. This honored all soldiers who died in war. The bodies were kept for three days so people could bring gifts. Then, a funeral parade took place. Ten cypress coffins carried the remains. Each coffin was for one of the Athenian tribes. One coffin was left empty for missing soldiers. Finally, they were buried in a public grave at Kerameikos. The last part of the ceremony was a speech. A well-known Athenian citizen, chosen by the state, gave this speech.
Several old funeral speeches from Athens still exist. They show that this was a regular custom during wartime.
Who Wrote the Speech?
Thucydides wrote down the Funeral Oration in his book, History of the Peloponnesian War. He wrote it as if Pericles said every word. However, Thucydides likely changed or edited the speech. He said that the speeches in his book were not exact copies. Instead, they showed the main ideas and what was needed for the situation.
We are quite sure that Pericles gave a speech. This happened at the end of the first year of the war. But we don't know how much Thucydides' version is like the real speech. Pericles also gave another funeral speech in 440 BC. This was during the Samian War. It's possible that parts of both speeches are in Thucydides' version.
Thucydides was very careful with his notes. He always mentioned how sure he was about his sources. He started telling the speech by saying: "Περικλῆς ὁ Ξανθίππου… ἔλεγε τοιάδε". This means "Pericles, son of Xanthippos, spoke like this". If he had quoted it exactly, he would have written "τάδε" ("this" or "these words"). The person who truly wrote the Funeral Oration is also not fully known. Plato, in his book Menexenus, said that Pericles's friend, Aspasia, wrote it.
What Pericles Said in His Speech
The Beginning of the Speech
Pericles started by praising the idea of a public funeral for the dead. But he also said that adding a speech was risky. He felt that the "reputations of many brave men" should not depend on "a single individual's words." Pericles argued that the speaker had a very hard job. They had to please the friends of the dead, who wanted their actions praised. At the same time, others might feel jealous or think the speaker was exaggerating.
Praising the Soldiers and Athens
Pericles began by praising the dead soldiers. This was common in other Athenian funeral speeches. He spoke about the ancestors of Athenians today. He also briefly mentioned how Athens gained its empire.
But then, Pericles changed his approach. He skipped over Athens' past military victories. He said, "That part of our history which tells of the military achievements... is a theme too familiar... and I shall therefore pass it by." Instead, Pericles wanted to focus on "the road by which we reached our position." He wanted to talk about Athens' government and its customs. He decided to praise the soldiers by celebrating the city they died for.
How Great Athens Was
Pericles said that Athens had "equal justice to all in their private differences." This means everyone was treated fairly by the laws. He also said that if someone could help the state, their background did not stop them. The freedom in their government also extended to daily life. People did not watch each other jealously. They were not angry if a neighbor did what they liked. These ideas are the basis of the famous phrase "equal justice under law."
Athens was also open to other countries. Pericles said, "We throw open our city to the world." They did not stop foreigners from learning or observing. Even if an enemy might learn something useful, Athens was still open. Yet, Athens' values of equality and openness made it stronger. Pericles said, "advancement in public life falls to reputations for capacity." This means people got ahead based on their skills, not their social class. He also said that ordinary citizens could still judge public matters well. He added, "at Athens we live exactly as we please, and yet are just as ready to encounter every legitimate danger."
Pericles reached the peak of his praise for Athens by saying: "In short, I say that as a city we are the school of Hellas." This means Athens taught the rest of Ancient Greece. He believed that no one in the world could be as ready for many challenges as an Athenian. He said Athenians were "graced by so happy a versatility."
Finally, Pericles connected his praise of Athens to the dead soldiers. He said, "for the Athens that I have celebrated is only what the heroism of these and their like have made her." He explained that these men did not let wealth or poverty stop them from being brave. They wanted to defeat their enemies more than anything else. This was the most glorious risk for them. They chose to die fighting rather than live by giving up. Pericles concluded: "Therefore, having judged that to be happy means to be free, and to be free means to be brave, do not shy away from the risks of war." After linking Athens' greatness to the soldiers, Pericles spoke to the people listening.
Praising the Athenian Military
Pericles said he stressed Athens' greatness to show citizens why they must keep fighting. He wanted them to see that what they fought for was very important. He explained that the soldiers he spoke of gave their lives to protect Athens and its freedom.
He praised Athens for its unique qualities. For example, its democracy trusted citizens, not just the system. Citizens had a freedom different from their enemies, the Lacedaemonians. He said the soldiers who died were truly worthy of honor. If anyone doubted, they should look at the soldiers' final moments. They gave their lives for their country. This should remove all doubt.
He explained that fighting for one's country was a great honor. It was like wearing a cloak that hid any flaws. A soldier's good deeds for the country would outweigh any mistakes. He praised the soldiers for not failing during the war. They put aside their own wishes for the greater good. Pericles described Athenian citizens as different from others. They were open-minded, accepting, and ready to understand and follow orders. Their democracy let them have a say in important decisions. So, he pointed out that the greatest honor in Athens was to live and die for the freedom of the state. Pericles believed Athens was special and better than any other nearby city.
What Pericles Told the Living
Pericles then spoke to the audience. He urged them to live up to the example of the dead soldiers. He said, "So died these men as becomes Athenians. You, their survivors, must determine to have as unfaltering a resolution in the field." He hoped their outcome would be happier.
Pericles spoke to the widows of the dead soldiers here. He told them that "the greatest glory for a woman is not to be spoken of at all, either for good or ill." This part is often used to show how Athenians viewed women's public roles. It also relates to how women were expected to act at private funerals.
The End of the Speech
Pericles ended with a short closing. He reminded the audience how hard it was to speak about the dead. Then, the audience was sent home.
How the Speech Was Written
The Greek language Thucydides used is known to be very difficult. Many people think the language in Pericles's Funeral Oration is the hardest and most skilled part of the History of the Peloponnesian War. The speech uses many rhetorical devices. These are special ways of using words to make a point. For example, it has a quick series of words that sound similar. This happens at the speech's most important moment. The style is very detailed, like the way sophists (wise teachers) liked to speak. There are many different English translations of the speech available.
Peter Aston created a choral music version of the speech. It was called So they gave their bodies and came out in 1976.
How It Compares to the Gettysburg Address
Experts like Louis Warren and Garry Wills have noticed similarities. They compared Pericles's funeral speech to Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address. Lincoln's speech, like Pericles's, does a few similar things:
- It starts by honoring those who came before: "Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this continent..."
- It praises the special nature of the country's commitment to democracy: "...a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal...government of the people, by the people, and for the people..."
- It talks about how hard it is for a speaker at such an event: "...we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground."
- It encourages the living to follow the example of the dead: "It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the great task remaining before us."
- It compares the power of words and actions: "The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract...The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here."
We don't know for sure if Lincoln was directly influenced by Pericles's speech. Wills never said Lincoln used it as a source. However, Edward Everett, who gave a long speech at the same Gettysburg ceremony, did start by mentioning the "Athenian example."
See also
In Spanish: Discurso fúnebre de Pericles para niños
