Funeral Oration of Pericles

Questions for Further Study

• 1.: The Great Peloponnesian War, which erupted in the same year Pericles gave his funeral oration, was a war that probably need not have occurred, given that Athens and Sparta had earlier been allies. What circumstances led to war between the two city-states? In particular, what role did defensive (as opposed to offensive) maneuvering by these city-states precipitate warfare?
• 2.: Imagine a debate that examines the following statement: Pericles’ funeral oration was a work of propaganda. What would be the pros and cons in such a debate?
• 3.: Pericles places considerable emphasis on the development of democratic institutions and practices in Athens and on this basis draws contrasts between Athens and the more authoritarian, militaristic city-state of Sparta. To what extent does the view that democracy should be spread prefigure motivations for warfare in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries?
• 4.: Describe the role that domestic politics played in the structure and content of Pericles' oration.
• 5.: What comfort does Pericles offer to the families of those slain in battle? To what extent do modern politicians offer similar comfort to the families and loved ones of those who fall in war?