Introduction
Athens is the capital of Greece with unique cultural practices distinct from other cultures. As the author describes, funeral ceremony is one practice different from that of other societies. During the Peloponnesian war, the city lost so many heroes and so a special ceremony had to be organized in their honor. Three days before the ceremony, bones are brought and laid on the already raised tent and so friends and family members are allowed to bring gifts to pay homage to those who have fallen in the battle and appease the spirits. When the day of the ceremony came, one man was chose to pronounce the eulogium. In this article Pericles’ Funeral Oration the orator of the speech, Pericles became the man to present the eulogium.
Pericles begins his speech by explaining to his audience why he thinks there is no need to make such speeches meant for burial a law. He argues that, deeds of the fallen heroes normally honored through such speeches should speak for themselves. He further explores that their ancestors accepted and stamped it as a law. He acknowledges that he could do nothing about it given that everyone believed in the custom though it is not constitutional.
The orator then praises the Athenian constitution. He says that unlike other regions, Athens’ enjoy a lot of democracy whereby there is no classification in terms of class or social status. Everyone is respected for who he is regardless of class, age, gender or social status. The citizens are trained to respect the law and have fear for those in authority and so the level of crime is low. Neighbors freely come and invest for there are no much restriction as compared with other places.
He also reveals that Athens military policies are different from those of the adjacent cities. He says that the laws allow access to the world but not to aliens with ill motives. The military personnel provide a warm environment for anybody with good intention to enter the city but are cautious enough to prevent entry of enemies who may intend to harm innocent citizens. They are always vigilant especially at the marine borders to evade enemy’s attack and so they believe in prevention of adversaries. On the legal justice system, Pericles thinks that Athens is the best because the citizens themselves put the interest of other people before theirs. Everyone understands his or her rights and the rights of others. The judges are then fair to all who seek justice.
The speech did compare the city as a school of Hellas, a place where people that depend on themselves are found. The fact that the city has been found through acts of the courage and dependent people that lived in it proved this. The people of Athens never gave the city to be humiliated or rather tested within its reputation by any of the assailant with such intentions. The people of that city joined hands and ensured all their territories are secured by use of any available resources either good or bad. Pericles emphases on the degree to which it took them to deliver the city from the Sparta using the fallen soldier thus serving as a suitable prove for his speech. He referred the efforts of the people of Athens, as the main reason as to why it is being celebrated and urged that it a clear show of justice in the struggle of steadfast to their city and should be set to represent a man contribution rather than their imperfection.
Pericles knew that, it was not of any good reason to be with no revenge for their enemy . He says that “failure to revenge is the element that gives them the power and drive to fight harder in their battles.” He even went ahead to compare such a situation with a requirement which is important than a personal blessing. He encourage his fellow people to be strong in battle by not being afraid to die for their city since it is worth than being alive while it is under hazard conditions from their enemies. He urge his people to bear in their heart the sacrifice made by the fallen warrior in ensuring that Athens stand by itself. They therefore should reveal their appreciation by keeping it real and defending their country and making it realize it powers.
Pericles painted Athens as a city full of perfection mostly through their activities for instance during their battle they seemed to have the best in all aspects compared to their enemies. This ideas stand not to be true since, there has to be some of kind of failure that are within the city, which he did not include in his speech. It is not that everything in his speech should be taken as the truth for instance, he disagreed with cultures of the city. These are the practices of reading the speech during funeral terming it to be unnecessary to be implemented as rules and law. This is going against his ancestral set culture, which is suppose to maintained in order to keep their city real and original.
Works Cited
Oliver, James H. "ON THE FUNERAL ORATION OF PERICLES." (1951): Print.
