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Pericles significance
Examples of pericles funeral oration
Examples of pericles funeral oration
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Pericles' Funeral Oration as recorded by Thucydides in the History of the Peloponnesian War and Theodore Roosevelt's Citizenship in a Republic were delivered in vastly different contexts, but have some similarities. Pericles gave his eulogy for the Athenian war-dead at a public funeral that took place around 430 BC, at the end of the first year of the Peloponnesian War, while Roosevelt gave his speech before a packed auditorium on April 23rd, 1910, by invitation of the University of Paris. It is interesting to read and analyze these two speeches in light of each other because both were offered by a leader of a democratic government and both contain reflections on the topic of citizenship. To introduce this topic, both Pericles and Roosevelt challenge the preconceptions and sensibilities of their audience and, to support the claims they make, both use the idea of the common man as a unifying motif as well as maxims, enthymemes, and examples from history. Careful analysis of these two speeches reveals that while Pericles argues why democracy should be defended and Roosevelt speaks to h...
Athens of ancient Greece had perhaps the most advanced system of government of the ancient world. The system of Athens was called a Democracy. That is, every citizen voted on everything. People have claimed that the United States is also a Democracy. This is not true. The government of the United States is a Constitutional Republic (Every). United States citizens vote for representatives, who then vote on the laws. They themselves are limited by a constitution. Democracy is a flawed government system. The Constitutional Republic is also flawed, however, it is better at safeguarding individual rights, when applied correctly. Therefore, a Constitutional Republic is a better system than a Democracy.
Cicero and Cato the Younger were the premier orators and statesmen that the Roman Republic produced. Both enjoyed political success within Rome during the waning years of the Republic. In addition, both were participants and witnesses of the collapse of the Republic. Before Caesar could gain full control over Rome, Cato committed voluntaria mors, voluntary death or more commonly known, suicide. After Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C.E., Cicero was murdered in 43 B.C.E. as he was placed on the proscription list during the triumvirate of Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus. Cato and Cicero were the defenders of the republic and in their eyes freedom as well. Following their deaths Cato enjoyed fame for his supposed martyrdom, such as Lucan’s Bellum Civile, while Cicero was lauded for his work on ethics, philosophy, and the ideal statesman. However, Cicero, not Cato, should be considered the martyr on behalf of the Republic and freedom due in a part to his insistence on maintaining the republic after the assassination of Caesar. Cato was the supposed martyr that Rome received but Cicero is the martyr Rome deserved and needed. To navigate this proposal a foundation of the concept of martyrdom is required. Secondly, define how the republic equates to freedom. Followed by the exploration how Cato is falsely elaborated upon and remembered as a martyr, and finally the illumination of why Cicero is the martyr the republic deserved.
Evolution of Democracy and the Athenian Constitution. Democracy is defined in modern times as government by the people. To put that in perspective and better understand all that democracy. entails we must consider its origins.
Athens government and military is considerably different from their neighbors. According to Pericles, Athens government is not a copy of our neighbors...
Composers of texts repeatedly have the common aim of persuading the audience into agreement or seek to gain empathy. The deliberate intention of the composer to inflict an incongruous perspective through the use of medium is represented through personalities, events and situations. Particularly, in both Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s infamous 1941 Four Freedoms speech, composer perspectives presented on historical events can be distorted, shaped, and reshaped to uniquely evoke a passionate response in the audience. Subtleties in the presentation of form overt a strong authenticity to text and provide a sustained theatrical license for the composer.
Parmele, M. (2010). Pericles’ Funeral Oration: because every self aware citizen should have it available. American Bull Moose .
Thucydides’ version of Pericles’ “Funeral Oration” can be read as more of an ironic rendering of Pericles’ original speech since The History of the Peloponnesian War is not just considered to be a historical account but also a “highly imaginative piece of work” in which Thucydides made characters involved in the war say what he believed they actually meant instead of what they might have originally said (Thucydides Introduction pg. x). In the “Funeral Oration”, Pericles praises certain
The book written by Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, contains two controversial debates between distinguished speakers of Athens. The two corresponding sides produce convincing arguments which can be taken as if produced as an honest opinion or out of self-interest. The two debates must be analyzed separately in order to conclude which one and which side was speaking out of honest opinion or self-interest, as well as which speakers are similar to each other in their approach to the situation.
Upon the opening words of the Constitution, "We the People do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America," one must ask, who are these people? While the American Constitution provided its citizens with individual rights, many members were excluded. Elite framers manipulated the idea of a constitution in order to protect their economic interests and the interests of their fellow white land and slave owning men' by restricting the voices of women, slaves, indentured servants and others. Therefore, the Constitution cannot truly be considered a "democratic document." However, because it is a live document, malleable and controllably changeable according to the interest of congress, it has enabled us to make reforms overtime. Such reforms that have greatly impacted America, making us the free, independent nation that we are today.
The death of Pericles was a significant event in the course of the Peloponnesian War; however, even without Pericles' leadership the Athenian Assembly had countless opportunities to prevent their loss and chose not to take them. The fickleness and inefficiency of democracy ('the mob') allowed the Athenians to be easily influenced and therefore electing populists such as Cleon, Lysicles and Hyperbolus into dominant leadership roles. Election, via democratic means, of such populists, meant that the Athenians would take a much more aggressive approach to the war and therefore abandon the policies that Pericles had previously established. So in turn, democracy the institution for which the Athenians fought tirelessly to protect, rather than the death of Pericles, ironically became the dominant factor influencing the final outcome of this Ancient Greek civil war.
Kagan, Donald. Pericles of Athens and the birth of democracy. New York: Free Press ;, 1991.
Throughout the book “The Republic”, Socrates discusses a number of topics, including immortality of the soul, reincarnation, and nature of the god’s. All in all, the topics that are argued are connected in many ways. More importantly than those topics, Socrates main argument is about a just society and a virtuous way of living. Many people who read “The Republic” consider the many points that Socrates has to offer and yet others do not. Some might agree with the ways a just society should be run but if people would think in the terms of twenty-first century, they would have some problems in agreeing with Socrates’s view of a just society. Every topic Socrates presents has a point and his main argument is about a just society and a virtuous way of living, whether it be from the soul, reincarnation, and other natures of god.
As perspectives and opinions in the realm of political science are fluid and bound to change, he receives a variety of replies, for the representatives body he sent happen to comprise a Realist, a Liberal and a Constructivist. The variances the philosophies and universal laws his representatives throw back at him intrigue General Cleomedes. He recognizes that within the power play of the world, and the role of Athens as a superpower within the world’s political arena, he must be thoroughly versed in every possible political perspective. Thus, he invites his representatives to share their own view of what transpired between the dialogue between the Melians and the Athenians.
In the year 507 B.C.E. Cleisthenes helped change Athenian ideals into a democracy. Those ideals still thrive in America today. However, Senator Bass claims that America has a flaw that will lead to the downfall of its democracy. Since America has a professional army, he claims, we oppose those great societies before us who sported citizen draft armies to protect their democracy. Although ancient Athens and ancient Rome are often portrayed as the first great democratic governments of history, these powerful empires were perhaps less democratic than they are usually thought of as. Athen’s political assembly was exclusive and often citizens had no checks on the statesman leading them, while wealthy Romans dominated politics and stole from the
In the city-state of Athens around fifth century BCE, men and women worked around the clock, making sure that their oikos (household) reflected exceptionally upon the polis (city-state). Citizens were the only people who had full control over the household, while everyone else who was not a citizen lacked and/or lucked out on many of the privileges. Being a citizen came with many entitlements, but it also brought a great deal of responsibility with it as well. Running a highly respect oikos required effort from not only the men, but also from the women, who played many vital and significant roles. Daily responsibilities were split among men and women; however, in order to maintain the oikos both had to contribute exponentially, and no work of either sexes was more important than