The first is cunning. Funerals after such battles were public rituals and Pericles used the occasion to make a classic statement of the value of democracy. Abraham Lincoln delivered the “Gettysburg Address” in the middle of the American Civil War, during a dedication to the dead Union soldiers of … …he spoke as follows: It seemed to them a worthy thing that such an honor should be given at their burial to the dead who have fallen on the field of battle. He was an extremely successful man, and well rounded in many aspects of Athenian leadership. Thucydides, Pericles' Funeral Oration Most of those who have spoken here before me have commended the lawgiver who added this oration to our other funeral customs. More than this, Athenian government is defined by its favoring of the needs of the many, the Athenian citizens, rather than just the privileged elite. Pericles’ funeral oration remains a poignant reminder that all things come at a cost. Pericles’ Funeral Oration (Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, translated by Rex Warner, Penguin Books, 1972, pages 144-150.) the prejudice in Pericles' advice, turning it into a paradigm for the attitude of all Hellenes toward women.8 J. S. Rusten's commentary on Pericles' funeral oration presents a succinct illustration of the prevailing interpretation of Thuc. The second is … Pericles proceeded from there to guide his oration to the justification of the war that Athens was waging against the surrounding societies near the city. Now, at the burial of those who were the first to fall in the war Pericles…was chosen to make the speech. The nature of Athenian exceptionalism is threefold. 2.45.2.9 Since it effectively recounts and documents the nearly universal The “Gettysburg Address” and Pericles’ “Funeral Oration” were two similar speeches given at vastly different times in history. And while we might enjoy several luxuries within our own lifetime, there are often those who suffer selflessly on our behalf; falling again and again under the blows of outrageous fortunes so that we might live contently, peacefully. The rulers of Athens were decided by popular election. Pericles' Funeral Oration from the Peloponnesian War (Book 2.34-46) This famous speech was given by the Athenian leader Pericles after the first battles of the Peloponnesian war. The much-remembered funeral oration of Pericles equally praises the unique character of Athens; Athens was set apart from the rest—the exception, exceptional. Pericles' Funeral Oration by Philipp Foltz (1852) When the bodies had been buried, it was customary for some wise and prudent notable and chief person of the city, preeminent in honor and dignity, before all the people to make a prayer in praise of the dead, and after doing this, each one returned to his House. Pericles’s and Lincoln’s funeral orations both reflect the use of constitutive rhetoric as they use persuasive speech to build up the community. Pericles describes the governmental system of Athens, which was unusual at the time. Pericles’ Funeral Oration Analysis Pericles, as we know, was an exceeding leader and statesmen for most of Athen’s reign during the 5th century B.C.E.