The Greatest Speech of all Time: Pericles’ Funeral Oration Essay Example

of governance and even though the soldiers of Athens had fallen at the opening battle, Sparta would never achieve what Athens had achieved.

The claims are accurate because Athens is worthy of admiration even in today’s context because the values of equality and democracy are associated with the city (Harris, p. 162). Democracy is the best form of governance and adopting it makes a city superior to others. The claims are accurate because even historically, Sparta never achieved the fame and glory Athens achieved. Up to date, democracy is referred to as what Pericles described the city of Athens. However, Pericles ignored the fact that party factionalism and selfishness could manifest a city as well as arrogance which came to happen after the death of Pericles. The speech warned the people against submission but did not tell the people about the best way of acting. The speech was not accurate in praising and justifying the actions of the citizens because it was supposed to show them the best way of acting rather than preaching democracy (Harris, p. 158).

Conclusion

The paragraph is rhetorically effective because it preaches about democracy. It is true that democracy is the best system of governance and it makes cities and nations that adopt it more superior to the others that adopt other systems of governance. The organization of the paragraphs is effective since the ideas followed each other substantially. Therefore, Pericles was able to garner support from the audience. The speech does not make an immediate appeal of people going to the war but frames the crisis meticulously through several appeals making the speech effective. The paragraphs remind the people of high minded

ideals in the governance and the comforts that come with the democratic form of governance.

Work cited

1. Harris, Edward M. "Pericles' Praise of Athenian Democracy Thucydides 2.37. 1." Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 94 (1992): 157-167.