Athenian Democracy in Ancient Greece

Paper Summary:

The paper analyzes Pericles' funeral oration and how it stands as one of the most memorable rhetorical tributes to Athenian democratic ideals. The paper examines how Athens was an open system of government, and Pericles stated that such self-governance made its military superior to that of Athens' adversaries. The paper concludes that even though the ideal of Athenian democracy was not always as pure as the vision lauded by Pericles in his speech, the very presence of the ideal, and the idea that freedom is worth fighting for, was unique, and uniquely expressed in this leader's words.

From the Paper:

"Athenian government is thus equated with the Athenian people--with all of the Athenian people. Most movingly, perhaps, in the final part of his speech, Pericles turns to the fathers and mothers who have given up sons and spouses to the war. He states that the parents who are still young should have more children, children who will be able to enjoy the democracy that their older siblings fought and died for, and he tells the women to be strong too, in the face of the sorrows that they and their city are enduring over the course of the war."

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