Funeral Oration
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Pericles Funeral Oration
In this passage of Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides, through his spokesman Pericles, speaks at the funeral of the young Athenian men who died during the war. To start his speech, Thucydides talks about the paying respects to the ancestors of Athenian people. He says, “By their valor, we have received a free state.” Throughout his speech, Thucydides gives respect to all of the men who died protecting their country. Through this statement, he implies that each individual has a huge role in the outcome of the state.
Each individual matters to the state because each individual can change the outcome of the state. If none of the men in Athens would fight against the opposing countries, then the state may be overthrown and wouldn’t be free anymore. But if everyone fights to protect their country, then they can continue to be a free diplomatic state. All in all, the people of Athens do depend on every single individual to fight and protect the free state that their ancestors fought to achieve.
The relationship between the individual and the state is known to be developed generations ago, according to Thucydides. Through the will and valor of each individual ancestor, the freedom of the state stays intact. In order to continue having a free state the Athenians have to nurture and care for their state. But the men aren’t the only ones who can do it. Fighting off enemies is a vital process to the nurturing of the state, but the women also play a large role in it. The women make sure everything is in order while the men are away, and everyone gives improvement to the state. Whether it is giving money to improve the city, or building structures to house things, each individual person has a responsibility to care for the state and that love and care for the state is passed down from generation to generation.
This society is a way of contemporary life in the United States. Everyone has to pay their bills, and therefore...
In this passage of Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides, through his spokesman Pericles, speaks at the funeral of the young Athenian men who died during the war. To start his speech, Thucydides talks about the paying respects to the ancestors of Athenian people. He says, “By their valor, we have received a free state.” Throughout his speech, Thucydides gives respect to all of the men who died protecting their country. Through this statement, he implies that each individual has a huge role in the outcome of the state.
Each individual matters to the state because each individual can change the outcome of the state. If none of the men in Athens would fight against the opposing countries, then the state may be overthrown and wouldn’t be free anymore. But if everyone fights to protect their country, then they can continue to be a free diplomatic state. All in all, the people of Athens do depend on every single individual to fight and protect the free state that their ancestors fought to achieve.
The relationship between the individual and the state is known to be developed generations ago, according to Thucydides. Through the will and valor of each individual ancestor, the freedom of the state stays intact. In order to continue having a free state the Athenians have to nurture and care for their state. But the men aren’t the only ones who can do it. Fighting off enemies is a vital process to the nurturing of the state, but the women also play a large role in it. The women make sure everything is in order while the men are away, and everyone gives improvement to the state. Whether it is giving money to improve the city, or building structures to house things, each individual person has a responsibility to care for the state and that love and care for the state is passed down from generation to generation.
This society is a way of contemporary life in the United States. Everyone has to pay their bills, and therefore...