In 454 BC he attacked Sicyon and Acarnania. he makes will be a payment, not a free gift. have as unfaltering a resolution in the field, though you may pray that it may have a [17] Pericles was chosen to provide this oration, and the content extended further than the customary eulogy to essentially form a call to action for the second year of the war after the end of the winter. any. Pericles (sometimes spelled Perikles) (495-429 B.C.E.) for Medieval Studies.The IHSP recognizes the contribution of Fordham University, the Header Image: "Pericles' Funeral Oration" by Philipp Foltz (Wikimedia). [19] He continued by recalling the history of Athenian military achievement, and how this “stemmed the tide of Hellenic or foreign aggression.”[20] It is unsurprising that this military theme and description of the culture and history was forefront in the oration as it reinforced the military culture. The Athenian example of attempting to avert war by asserting its power demonstrates that survival and seeking power can occur simultaneously. I think this to be a subject upon which on the present occasion a speaker may properly [18] Thucydides, The Landmark Thucydides, 111. Thus, the two powers were rel… [29] Thucydides, The Landmark Thucydides, 51. If deeds be in question, word, at least, the requirements of the law are now satisfied. an appropriate panegyric; after which all retire. country has been furnished by us with everything that can enable her to depend on her own The relative stability that accompanied the Thirty Years’ Peace lasted until 432 BCE. The dead are laid in the public sepulchre in unknown, and to whom a fall, if it came, would be most tremendous in its consequences. theme too familiar to my hearers for me to dilate on, and I shall therefore pass it by. [30] Thucydides, The Landmark Thucydides, 51. The unusual content of this eulogy provides a comprehensive insight into the Athenian strategy and military culture, and how this culture directly relates to Athens strategic objectives of foremost survival, but moreover expansion of power. ‘Purpose and Means in War.’ In On War. [10] This decision demonstrates that the nature of strategy will determine a state’s action as it seeks to survive when its political objectives are threatened by another state’s power. complete; for the Athens that I have celebrated is only what the heroism of these and That part of our history which tells of the to preserve it, except that of the heart. Born about 500 B.C., died in 429; entered public life about 469 as leader of the Democratic party; principal minister of the Athenian State after 444; commanded in the first Peloponnesian War. Pericles made his first military excursions during the First Peloponnesian War, which was caused in part by Athens' alliance with Megara and Argos and the subsequent reaction of Sparta. It was a custom of their ancestors, and the manner of it is as looking on discussion as a stumbling-block in the way of action, we think it an After the Athenian decision to go to war was made, Pericles employed the strategy of defence within the Athenian walls. [25] Thucydides, The Landmark Thucydides, 114. Overview. Pericles feels big. From 431 to 404 BC the conflict escalated into what is known as the "Great War." [15] Pericles implored the Athenian people to stay the course and continue to live in line with the political objective for the good of the state, reminding them, “A man may be personally ever so well off, and yet if his country be ruined he must he ruined with it.”[16] This critical point in the war illustrates not only that the political objective of the state are intrinsically linked to the survival of the state, but also highlights the importance of the question of toward what end the state maintains the course toward that objective. And that this is no Meanwhile these were the first that had fallen, and Pericles, son of Xanthippus, teaching us to obey the magistrates and the laws, particularly such as regard the These take as your model and, judging happiness which either we or our fathers stemmed the tide of Hellenic or foreign aggression, is a text to a speaker even before an audience so alive to them as the present, you must 2) Under the leadership of Pericles, Athens grew from a city-state to a naval empire. be offensive, although they inflict no positive penalty. Now, acclaimed designer Mark Herman brings us a fresh perspective on both the 1 st and 2 nd Peloponnesian wars, seamlessly meshing the politics of the polis with the wider military conflicts in a unique design that captures the challenges of the era. All quotes come from the Thomas Hobbes translation. against a detachment is magnified into a victory over the nation, and a defeat into a At the beginning of 431 BCE Athens entered into the Second Peloponnesian War with Sparta which would end in Athens’ defeat; but Pericles would not live to see the fall of his city. Please help spread the word to new readers by sharing it on social media. document, indicate the source. When Pericles was asked to give the official funeral oration for the Athenian soldiers who had died at one of the opening battles of the Peloponnesian War, he took the occasion not only to praise the dead, but Athens itself, in a speech which has been praised as enshrining the highest ideals of democracy and condemned as blatant propaganda on behalf … This period that saw the rise of Athens as a dominant power in Greece also corresponds with the formative period of Pericles’s education and appreciation of strategy, its application by the state, and what his role would become. The nature of strategy is greatly influenced by the geographical and operational environment within which a state exists, and is a feature closely associated with that state’s survival and pursuit of power. Pericles also served as commander-in-chief of the Athenian army during the First Peloponnesian War. protection of the injured, whether they are actually on the statute book, or belong to "Our constitution does not copy the laws of neighbouring states; we are rather a have been long accustomed. Finally, the nature of the geographical and operational environment will be considered through the exploration of a series of discrete examples from the period. resisting, rather than to live submitting, they fled only from dishonour, but met danger Simultaneously, Pericles seeks to protect the state by reinforcing a sense of enduring allegiance and service to the state in preparation for the second year of the war. Rather, the admiration of the present and succeeding ages will be "Further, we provide plenty of means for the mind to refresh itself from business. their children will be brought up till manhood at the public expense: the state thus country without break in the succession from generation to generation, and handed it down When a man is gone, all are wont to praise him, and should your merit be ever so surveillance over each other, we do not feel called upon to be angry with our neighbour [1] von Clausewitz, C., M. Howard, and P. Paret. This tenet is executed through strategy. Home | Ancient History Sourcebook | Medieval Sourcebook |  Modern History Sourcebook | Byzantine Studies Page that which has caused your mourning, and to whom life has been so exactly measured as to is subject; but fortunate indeed are they who draw for their lot a death so glorious as There, far from exercising a jealous The ability for Athens to “gain in the acquisition of power by becoming a naval people” could never be realised from within a land-locked city. However, since our ancestors have stamped this custom with their approval, Pretty much everything I know about the Peloponnesian War I learned from Thucydides. hand, if I must say anything on the subject of female excellence to those of you who will Peloponnesian War, (431–404 bce), war fought between the two leading city-states in ancient Greece, Athens and Sparta. discipline seek after manliness, at Athens we live exactly as we please, and yet are just This caused the Athenians turned on Pericles. After the bodies have been laid in the earth, a those who are here interred have received part of their honours already, and for the rest,