Many People Only Think Of The Ancient Greeks As The Inventor

Although the Pericles’ Funeral Oration and the Gettysburg Address are hundreds of years apart, many have taken note of the similarities between these two memoirs for fallen soldiers of war. A powerful funeral oration from Athenian culture inspired Abraham Lincoln’s address to the Union during the Civil War. Both the Athenians and the Union were in the midst of fighting another power at the time. The value placed on liberty and democracy amongst these two groups was strong. Although citizens were treated differently and the concept of which people were deserving of rights differed, the Gettysburg Address and Pericles’ Funeral Oration similarly ensured their military conquests and sacrifices would be historically significant as it brings great honor and pride to their respective states. Their deaths were not in vain and would further push the ideas of these two respective societies.

After the conclusion of the Persian Wars (492-479BC) with Athens being the true victor, and before the Peloponnesian War, a period of prosperity covered Athens, and they needed to devise new ways to protect themselves and expand their wealth, and how this would affect their relations with allies.

Fifth-century Athens refers to the Greek city-state of Athens in the period of roughly 480 BC-404 BC. This was a period of Athenian political hegemony, economic growth and cultural flourishing formerly known as the Golden Age of Athens or The Age of Pericles. The period began in 480 BC when an Athenian-led coalition of city-states, known as the Delian League, defeated the Persians at Salamis. As the fifth century wore on, what started as an alliance of independent city-states gradually became an Athenian empire. Eventually, Athens abandoned the pretense of parity among its allies and relocated the Delian League treasury from Delos to Athens, where it funded the building of the AthenianAcropolis. With its enemies

Per the writing of Thucydides, Pericles' funeral oration implied that democracy makes it so people can better themselves through merit rather than class or money. He further states that democracy guarantees privacy and equal justice for all. Pericles was a leading figure of the Peloponnesian War. He was chosen by the city because of his intellectual gifts and for his general reputation. This is not just a speech appropriate to the occasion but also one that matched the formulaic prescriptions of the epitaphios; which consisted of several mandatory topics: praise of the dead, praise of the ancestors, praise of the city, consolation of the families of the dead. This speech was undeniable significant.

Throughout the Ancient Greek world, there have been many wars and standoffs. However, there has been only one which changed the course of Greek history forever; the Peloponnesian War. Caused by the growing tension between Athens and Sparta, it came and left, leaving only destruction in its wake. The defeat of Athens in the Peloponnesian War caused the downfall of Greece, and the end of the Classical Age.

Pericles Funeral Orientation was recorded by Thucydides during the Peloponnesian War. The primary purpose of the speech revolved around honoring those who had died in battle. The second purpose of the speech was to present Athens as an environment of courage and security. Also, the speech fixated on the importance and uniqueness of the Athenian government its self (democracy) which created arrogance that eventually destroyed their city-state. Pericles main point was “these men, who could not bear the thought of losing her, nobly fought and nobly died——these men were worthy of their city——their memory abides and grows” (Thucydides 3). Overall, the funeral orientation was used to honor, give confidence, and create courage and community in

Possibly the most important cause for the fall of the Golden Age Greece was the Battle of Corinth. It occurred in 146BC and officially marked the complete fall of the Greek resistance against the Roman Republic. This was such a destructive turning point for Greece because the city of Corinth possessed masses of wealth. It was a main hub of activity and politics for the Greece civilization. The battle occurred during a time when the Roman Republic sought to overtake Greece and all of its corresponding states. Rome had been proving its great military strength and superiority to neighboring nations previous to the Battle of Corinth. This period outlines the fall of the Greece nation and the rise of the Roman Republic. Corinth was one of the most powerful at that time. After the battle, the rest of Greece fell to the Romans as well. The Greek states tried to hold off and resist Roman

During the fifth century bc, Athens had war with Persians, the result of this war had make establishment of democracy to Geek. Acropolis of Athens is an important

The Funeral Oration was given by Pericles in response to some of the first deaths of Athenian soldiers in the Peloponnesian War that broke out in 431 BCE. He was very intricate in how he used this event to not only commemorate the fallen Athenian troops, but to vindicate the Athenian Democracy and constitution and the values that were encompasses within the governments success. “What I want to do is, in the first place, to discuss the spirit which we faced our trials and also our

The Golden Age of Athens began around 460 BC and ended around 430 BC. It was the time of great achievements. This was flourishing, aton of our society can be traced back to the ancient greeks,. They made long lasting contributions is many places. Medicine, Government , and Philosophy were very important achievement that are used in society today.

Athens was the starting point of the new age in government and took some time for the full effect to take place. In the military, if one were of age, they had to fight, whether for themselves and/or to protect their land. The Greeks also left behind a legacy. Democracy itself was the Greeks’ big achievement, one that still exists today. Their military strictness also exists in today’s armies and military forces, in the form of training and discipline. After all this, the Greeks may have been one of the hardest civilizations in terms of their people, but they will always have a huge influence in the history and formation of the world to what it is

On the other hand, Pericles’ Funeral Oration is a celebration of Athenian Democracy. Despite being a general, Pericles held considerable influence over the political system and his Funerary Oration displays his support for the democratic system while also giving himself credit for his own personal achievements for the state. During his oration, Pericles focuses on the different aspects that make the Athenian culture superior to both their allies and rival city states; and he concludes that Athens “as a whole is a lesson for Greece.” He does not only believe his bragging statements are his opinion, but also states that the truth in his declarations are evident by the character of the citizens and the power of Athens. The Funeral Oration honors those who have passed in the war, but Pericles also uses it as an opportunity to highlight Athenian customs, government, and way of life as the reasons for their military success.

Spartan’s Victory in the Peloponnesian War The Peloponnesian War marked the end of Athens’ Golden Age. After the Persian wars, Athens grew more powerful and tensions rose, escalating into nearly three decades of war. Athens was the catalyst but Sparta emerged victorious, while the constant fighting left Athens bankrupt, exhausted and demoralized. Neither city-state regained the military strength they once had.

     Speeches given at funerals would primarily talk about the ancestors of the deceased and the lives they led. “And if our more remote ancestors deserve praise, much more do our own fathers, who added to their inheritance, the empire that we now process, and spared no pains to be able to leave their acquisitions to us of the present generation.” (Thucydides, 105) This quote shows that Pericles wanted to show more about what the

Athens obtained hegemony around 448 BC, right after the war-like city-state of Sparta. Athens’ Golden Age was under the rule of Pericles, who initiated a large number of public works projects and encouraged the arts and literature. With the help of rulers such as