Rhetorical Analysis of Funeral Oration by Pericles

By: Matthew Porter
4/16/12
There are many famous speakers in the world and even more famous speeches, the Funeral Oration by Pericles did more for the people of Athens with this speech than any other man could have. The Funeral Oration is significant because the speech departs from the typical formula of Athenian funeral speeches. (Ziolkowski) The speech is a glorification of Athens' achievements, designed to stir the spirits of a state still at war. The speech was delivered at the end of the first year of the Peloponnesian War after a funeral procession to honor those who had died so far. The Funeral Oration was recorded by Thucydides in book two of his History of the Peloponnesian War Although Thucydides records the speech in the first person as if it were a word for word record of what Pericles said, there can be little doubt that Thucydides has edited the speech at the very least. We cannot be certain of what Pericles actually said but the text that was recorded is what will be analyzed. The speech was given by the Athenian leader Pericles after the first battles of the Peloponnesian war. Funerals after such battles were public rituals and Pericles used the occasion to make a classic statement of the value of democracy.
As for the personal life of Pericles there were several events in his life that lent to his credibility. The name Pericles means “Surrounded by Glory” and it is a fitting description of his early life. He was the son of a wealthy politician he was able to pursue his inclination toward education. Not much is known about how Pericles’ learned to speak in such an effective manner but it was most likely part of a standard education. Pericles entered politics ant a relatively young age and in 461 BC his political rival Cimon was ostracized. Pericles was able to consolidate his political authority after a
democratic leader named Ephialtes was murdered; Pericles then became the undisputed ruler of Athens. While leading and initiating many attacks in the first Peloponnesian War Pericles was able to gain both military experience and public credibility. (Kagan) In 444 BC, the conservative and the democratic factions confronted each other in a fierce struggle. The ambitious new leader of the conservatives, Thucydides, accused Pericles of profligacy, criticizing the way he spent the money for an ongoing building plan. Thucydides managed, initially, to incite the passions of the ecclesia in his favor, but, when Pericles took the floor, he put the conservatives to shame with his public speaking skills. (Kallet) By the time the Peloponnesian War took place Pericles’ was well prepared in the public speaking forum. Having to stave off several personal attacks Pericles was experienced in saying the right thing at the right time.
It was an established Athenian practice by the late fifth century to hold a public funeral in honor of all those who had died in war. (Kagan) The bodies of the dead would be taken to tents for three days so relatives could mourn. The bodies were then carried in a funeral procession that led to a public grave. The last part of the ceremony was a speech delivered by a prominent Athenian citizen. Pericles was an obvious choice and in his speech, he chose to honor the dead by praising the city they had died to defend. His speech has three parts: first, Pericles discusses the glory of Athens; furthermore, the valor of the dead; and finally, he exhorts the people of the city. Pericles’ speech is a masterful example of audience analysis, as well as a classic illustration of figures of speech. All these factors added to the credibility of Pericles, He had knowledge,
trustworthiness, and dynamism.
The Speech is recorded by Thucydides and the most likely possibility is that Thucydides writes from his own memory of the event, in which case exact quotation is doubtful, though it is likely that Pericles' main points have been correctly recorded. (David) Pericles most likely did not use notes but instead tailored his speech for the audience at hand. This shows what a great communicator Pericles really was. There are many translations of the Funeral Oration, and there is even more than one English translation of the speech. In the speech Pericles relates the special qualities of the Athenians, redefining many traditional Greek virtues in a radical new light.
Pericles’ goal in giving this speech is to first praise the custom of public funerals for those who have died in war and then to praise the dead themselves. After this intro the speech then moves on to its main point which is a glorification of Athens' achievements, designed to stir the spirits of a state still at war. Pericles then turns to the audience and exhorts them to live up to the standards set by the deceased “You, their survivors, must determine to have as unaltering a resolution in the field, though you may pray that it may have a happier outcome." After this Pericles ends his speech by reminding the audience of the difficulties they still face and that sacrifices may have to be made to insure that the war won.
Pericles has no trouble evoking the pathos of the audience. Pericles gives examples of acts of valor to emphasize his point of praising the dead. The best example of gaining passion from the audience in the speech occurs when Pericles says, “This, then, is the kind of city for which these men nobly fought and nobly died. And it was for
this reason that I spoke at such great lengths about our city, because I wanted to make it clear that there is much more at stake here than for those who lack our advantages.” At this point in his speech, Pericles begins to draw his audience toward his point of view. Having regaled them with stories of the wonder of Athens, they can do little but accept the value of those who died to defend it. By today’s standards the arguments would not be considered wise, but they worked for the audience in front of Pericles.
“I shall not commiserate with the parents of the dead who are gathered here. But this is good fortune – for men to end their lives with honor, as these have done. Those of you who are the right age must take comfort in the thought of more children.” Instead of sympathizing with the families of the dead he asks for more sacrifice from the people of Athens.
Sound logic is key to any successful speech, For Athens to win this war they need to continue to make sacrifices. Pericles’ statism is so strong that he believes in putting the group before everything else. Individual happiness and well-being are nothing next to the well-being of the Athenian state. “Everyone always speaks well of the dead, and even if you rise to the greatest heights of heroism, it will be hard for you to get the reputation of having come near, let alone equaled, their standard.” The people of Athens considered themselves to be the most noble in Greece. Pericles gives the highest nobility to those who had died in the war and lets the audience know that they can’t measure up to the example that the fallen have given. With this Logic one can draw a loose version of the motivated sequence, there is no attention grabber, but none is needed, Pericles is giving a funeral oration and people are listening. The problem is
implied, Athens is at war. Sacrifice is the solution, Athens is great, but for it to remain great more lives must be sacrificed. Pericles gives an extremely detailed visualization of what Athens is and what it stands for. The way that The Athenians can help him is to not “shy away from the risks of war.”
The speech is full of rhetorical devises such as antithesis, repetition, and the way that Pericles stresses certain syllables. In the original Greek version of the speech there is a rapid succession of ending syllables that are the same on words beginning with the letter e, this is called proparoxytone. This is a deliberate effect used by Pericles at the climax of his speech to engage the audience even further. Pericles also uses alliteration when he says, “public life falls to reputation for capacity, class considerations not being allowed to interfere...” In this way Pericles is able to gain empathy through the use of repetition.
Pericles is a master of the language of inspiration; with both sensory and figurative imagery he is able to gain empathy from the audience. Sensory imagery is found throughout the speech. Thermal imagery is mention when Pericles says, “flame of the departed.” Gustatory Imagery is found in the, “fruit of freedom.” Both Kinetic and Auditory present in the sentence, “And I could have wished that the reputations of many brave men were not to be imperiled in the mouth of a single individual, to stand or fall according as he spoke well or ill.
Pericles uses language to communicate his ideas of what an ideal society looks like to him, “The freedom which we enjoy in our government extends also to our ordinary life. There, far from exercising a jealous surveillance over each other, we do
not feel called upon to be angry with our neighbor...” Pericles also achieves a sense of identification with the people of Athens by pointing out that they are a democracy, “Our constitution does not copy the laws of neighboring states; we are rather a pattern to others than imitators ourselves. Its administration favors the many instead of the few; this is why it is called a democracy.” Redemption is possible Pericles says if the people of Athens can continue to sacrifice for the greater good of the state.
The idea that the Athenians are able to put aside their petty wants and strive for the greater good of the city is a central theme of the speech. Bound together by bonds of mutual trust and a shared desire for freedom, the people of Athens submit to the laws and obey the public officials not because they have to, but because they want to. Athenians had thus achieved something quite unique, being both ruled and rulers at the same time. (Hutchinson) This had created a unique type of citizen. Clever, tolerant, and open minded Athenians were able to adapt to any situation and rise to any challenge. They had become the new ideal of the Greek world.
In a closer look at Identification it is clearly visible that Pericles identifies with the audience on three different levels. The audience identifies with speaker because not only is he a politician, he is also a general. There is also a special bond with the audience on a topic. Many of the people in the audience would have known people who had died in the war and were about to be buried. The deepest connection of topic is the fact that they are Athenians; Pericles praises Athens to bond with the audience because he is from Athens as well. Pericles again inspires the audience to heighten their admiration for the dead; He says the right thing at the right time and thus identifies with
the situation.
As Pericles ends his speech he does so in a way the reinforces himself as the leader of Athens, “I have paid the required tribute, in obedience to the law, making use of such fitting words as I had... And now, when you have duly lamented, everyone his own dead, you may depart.” This is a subtle way of letting the audience know that he is in charge. He was picked for the duty of giving the oration, and he has the power to keep the people there. Pericles is in control of the situation the entire time and this speech gives him the opportunity to give the Athenian people their confidence and willpower back.
The people of Athens had no idea that when they were electing Pericles they got so much more than a great politician, the got a great speaker. Pericles identifies with the audience so well that he is able to ask so much without being afraid of rejection. Pericles uses his confidence as well as some rhetorical devices to gain trust from the audience. More trust probably wasn’t what Pericles needed; he had the credibility of a politician, a general, and a wealthy man. The logic in this sound argument is easy to understand when you take a step back, Pericles flatters the audience and gives them something worth fighting for, he then asks for more sacrifice and the audience is so moved by the speech that they will gladly do anything for their leader.

Bibliography


Ziolkowski, John (1981). Thucydides and the Tradition of Funeral Speeches at Athens. Arno Press. ISBN 0-405-14057-6.

Thucydides “History of the Peloponnesian War,” 2.34 - 2.43.1

David (1997). A Historical Commentary on Thucydides. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0-472-08419-4.

Kagan, Donald. The Outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, 83 Viking Press.

Kagan, Donald (April 2003). The Peloponnesian War. Viking Press. ISBN 9-780-64165-469-5

Kallet, Lisa. Money and the Corrosion of Power in Thucydides: The Sicilian Expedition and its Aftermath. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001 ISBN 0-520-22984-3

Hutchinson, Godfrey. Attrition: Aspects of Command in the Peloponnesian War. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: Tempus Publishing, 2006, IABN 1-86227-323-5.