Pericles' Funeral Oration: A Masterclass in Eloquence and Propaganda during the Peloponnesian War
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Pericles funeral oration, Athenian civilization, Sparta, Peloponnesian War, political propaganda, Thucydides, war policy, Athenian soldiers, pathos, affect, emotional manipulation, propaganda discourse, ancient Greece, political regime, equality, citizens, freedom, intelligence, eloquence strategies, funeral rites, religious ceremony, political speech, city-state, citizenship, democracy, leadership, oratory skills, persuasion techniques, historical context, classical Athens, ancient Greek politics, Thucydides The Peloponnesian War, political maneuvering, funeral oration analysis, Pericles leadership, Athenian democracy, war justification, Spartan civilization, cultural antithesis, citizen participation, civic duty, national identity, collective memory, historical significance, rhetorical devices, oratory techniques, political communication, ancient Greek history.
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Abstract
"Discover the powerful eloquence of Pericles' Funeral Oration, a masterful blend of politics and pathos that transformed grief into a rallying cry for Athenian unity. This iconic speech, reconstructed by Thucydides in The Peloponnesian War, showcases Pericles' skillful use of emotional appeal, flattery, and tradition to justify war against Sparta and promote his vision of Athenian civilization. By exploring the manipulative strategies and rhetorical devices employed by Pericles, we gain insight into the art of persuasive oratory and the enduring legacy of ancient Greek politics. Dive into the world of classical oratory and uncover the secrets of effective persuasion."
Extract
[...] First, he speaks and is under the cover of the religious ceremony. The use of tradition and the mystical brings additional credibility to the speaker, as it unconsciously "reassures" the crowds of the words that could be spoken during the speech. It is a way of putting the group to sleep. But also, it is on a reminder of the confession of the deceased, and on a background of sadness and pain shared by the listeners, that the speaker attempts to make his way. [...]
[...] It is one of the most famous passages of the politician and historian Thucydides, excerpt from the Peloponnesian War. This excerpt is a reconstruction of the funeral oration delivered by the head of state Pericles in honor of the Athenian soldiers who died during the first year of this conflict. Through this excerpt, we will attempt to explain how and in what way Pericles shows eloquence. Eloquence is the art of expressing oneself. It consists of the talent to move, to convince, but above all to persuade one's audience. [...]
[...] A second level of reading allows us to understand the justification of the war against Sparta, the antithesis of the Athenian civilization, which is described as a savage and a barbarian, all the more responsible for the death of the soldiers, fathers, sons, and friends who died during the first year of the war. This discourse aims to persuade (since it plays on the emotions of the audience) rather than to convince, which in fact makes it a true propaganda discourse intended to inflame the crowds, rather than to reassure them. [...]
[...] At first glance, it seems obvious that this long speech by Pericles is not limited to praising the men who died in combat, but is also an opportunity to turn it into an act of political propaganda against the city of Sparta. A sort of political "recovery", a stratagem and a trick widely used by our current politicians, in the event of an attack, or a major crisis for the country. We will therefore attempt in this first part to understand how a simple religious celebration of the deceased becomes a speech justifying Pericles' war policy. To do this, Pericles will use and abuse large numbers of eloquence strategies. [...]
[...] 'Citizens, foreigners, women and relatives.' He encompasses everyone, so that each person can recognize themselves. In this way, by giving his audience a global and unanimous perception of the city of Athens, by giving people the same sense of belonging to a group, to a 'family', he unifies the group in order to be able to launch his political maneuver. Finally, flattery remains a formidable weapon in the present case, since he presents the people of Athens as being cultivated and responsible for their actions, and therefore free to make their decisions. [...]
