"The Funeral Oration of Pericles" - PDP Sample

NOTE:  This is a sample PDP compiled from GoogleDocs created by groups of students.  Please follow this format when creating your own PDP.

Author Bio:  Author - Thucydides (ca. 460-400 BCE) - Greek historian who was born in Alimos;  a product of Sophist movement; considered the father of scientific history & founder of modern historiography; strove to maintain impartiality & accuracy in his accounts

Speaker - Pericles (ca. 495-429 BCE, r. 461-429 BCE) - leader of Athens largely responsible for Delian League; initiates rebuilding of Parthenon for glory of Athens & as public works project; called "the first citizen of Athens" by Thucydides

Date/Context:  Alliances between competing city-states created tensions in Greek world; Athens as democracy; The beginning of the Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BCE), in which Sparta and its allies (Peloponnesian League) are fighting with Athens and its allies (Delian League) in order to check the imperialistic Athens’ power; this speech was delivered in 430 at the beginning of the Peloponnesian Wars

Summary: In this speech to widows and parents of the fallen soldiers, Pericles describes the greatness of Athenian society as a justification for the deaths and continued fighting.  Pericles highlights the individual’s status in democracy, that he has free will to go about his pursuits. However, when called upon by the state, he willingly defends her to keep her free. He extols the glories of Athens as a mighty city-state founded on knowledge and reason, and he tells these relatives that any man should be proud to fight and die for such a wonderful and admirable cause. He describes the men as honorable and praises their sacrifice. He declares Athens to be superior to Sparta, and that although the Athenian soldiers do not undergo such rigorous training as Spartans they are no less brave and should be esteemed highly for their sacrifice. Further, he emphasizes that after completing hard work, one should enjoy beauty and wealth. Finally, he reminds citizens to be proud of their sacrifice and to continue to fight and work in support of this great city.

Key Quotation: (quotations for all groups are listed below)

• “I have no wish to make a long speech on subject familiar to you all: so I shall say nothing about the warlike deeds by which we acquire our power or the battles in which we or our fathers gallantly resisted our enemies greek or foreign.”
• “Happiness depends on being free, and freedom depends on being courageous.”
• “Others are brave out of ignorance; and, when they stop to think, they begin to fear. But the man who can most truly be accounted brave is he who best knows the meaning of what is sweet in life and of what is terrible, and then goes out undeterred to meet what is to come.”
• “But the man who can most truly be accounted brave is he who best knows the meaning of what is sweet in life and what is terrible, and then goes out undeterred to meet what is to come.”
• “Our love of what is beautiful does not lead to extravagance; our love of the things of the mind does not make us soft.”