Pericles Funeral Oration In The Peloponnesian War

Both “Pericles’ Funeral Oration” transcribed by Thucydides and “The Perils of Indifference” by Elie Wiesel demonstrate desire for a redefined culture: a culture geared towards a better societal attitude. Though both speeches address the need to honor peoples who have died (Pericles to those who have died in the Peloponnesian War; Wiesel to those who have died in the Holocaust) and invoke various feelings ranging from sorrow to pride, the manner in which both speeches present so differs slightly. The speeches use variations of tones that appeal to the audience in such a way that emphasizes their main idea. In “Pericles’ Funeral Oration”, Pericles praises Athens, especially its democracy, in contrast to Sparta’s.

The Funeral Oration of Pericles: A Primary Text Analysis In Pericles’ Funeral Oration, the famous and influential text in 430 B.C was given by Pericles to traditionally honor the death of the soldiers that fought in war and serviced in the Athenian military. This interpretation of the oration is written by Thucydides, as it is a manuscript of what Pericles said to the Athenian public. Through this text, Pericles focuses on honoring the fallen soldiers, but he also emphases the values of Athenian society and the social structure of the invention of democracy, as it is introduced for the first time ever in history. The Funeral Oration of Pericles expresses the distinct values of strong moral standards for social structure and introduces democracy, as it reinforces laws and the need for equal justice.

Pericles (495 BC-429 BC) was an Athenian statesman and strategos during the “Golden Age” of Athens. His father Xanthippus fought in the Persian wars and his mother Agariste belonged to the powerful Alcmaeonid family, so he was brought up with considerable wealth and power. Pericles placed much value into philosophy and the arts as a result and was even personal friends with famous philosophers such as Anaxagoras and Zeno.

Lincoln’s “Address Delivered at the dedication of the Cemetery at Gettysburg” was written in American in the midst of a savage civil war. Union troops had only four months earlier defeated Confederate troops, which was recognized as the turning point of war. “Pericles’s Funeral Oration” by Thucydides is a speech glorifying The achievements that were designed to stir spirits who are troubled by the war they died during. While evaluating Lincoln’s “Address Delivered at the dedication of the Cemetery at Gettysburg” and “Pericles’s Funeral Oration” by Thucydides, I was able to notice clearly the parallels between the speeches. Though there is a significant length desperation, the content of the two orations is similar.

Pericles was born in 495 BCE in ancient Greece. He was born into a wealthy and rich family, his father was a well known general and statesman. He was given an outstanding education in music, and math. Pericles became a major political leader in Athens. Pericles rebuilt the city of Athens and brought the city to it’s highest peak.

Although Pericles’ words strived to inspire and encourage the Athenian people to fight valiantly against Sparta and its allies, they are not enough to embolden the Athenian people onto victory in the Peloponnesian War. His words do motivate Athenians to make tremendous effort in extending their power and defeating Sparta and its allies, but in the end, may have lead to Athenians’ demise. Fostering pride and determination throughout the war, Athens makes several attempts to expand its naval power, but fails in its plan to overtake Syracuse on the coast of Sicily, weakening its efforts against Sparta and its allied city-states. Finally, in the naval battle at Aegospotami, the Spartans have a decisive victory over Athens, and the Athenians eventually surrender, ending the Peloponnesian War.

The American speech, “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”, was given at St. John’s Church in Richmond Virginia on March 23, 1775. The speech was written and presented by an American Politician and Founding Father, Patrick Henry. The purpose of Henry’s speech was to persuade the people of Virginia with the use of his Logos, Ethos and Pathos appeals to take action against the British Oppression. Henry introduces his speech with providing respect to his opposition.

The "Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death" speech, was delivered by Patrick Henry at the third Virginia convention, held in St. John's Church in Richmond on March 23, 1775. Patrick's goal was to get the colonists to take arms against the British, but of course, no revolution starts with just asking. He wanted to motivate everyone in the church by presenting his speech in a very urgent and motivational manner. As a result of this speech, a majority of the delegates joined him in his plight for fighting against Britain. His opening line is strong, "No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism.

Being a Mythological hero is stressful. Always having to go on dangerous quests and save other people's lives. The hero has to show how clever they are while under everyone's microscope. They do all this will trying to hide their flaw; even though in mythology it seems someone always knows. Perseus holds the qualities of going to a journey, having flaws but also showing his cleverness.

Thirty two years ago on June 6, 1984, at Pointe du Hoc on the northern shore of France President Ronald Reagan delivered what would be considered to be one of his greatest speeches. On the fortieth anniversary of D-Day, President Reagan spoke with raw emotion and simplicity that made the events of that longest day real to those who were not there. He honored, inspired, and touched people that he would never meet all in the short span of under fifteen minutes. The man who was dubbed the “Great Communicator” communicated a chilling message of freedom, determination, and heart to America and the rest of the world. He would use this speech to describe the events of that day forty years before in a way that made one see the bombs, and hear the gunfire.