Patriotism Elevated by Death

History

I love what James said in his post regarding being American. I too couldn’t help but notice the American ideologies expressed in the Funeral Oration of Pericles. “Our system of government does not copy the institutions of our neighbors” (line 27, page 73). “When our work is over, we are in a position to enjoy all kinds of recreation for our spirits” (4, 74). “We, when we launch an attack abroad, do the job by ourselves and, though fighting on foreign soil, do not often fail to defeat opponents who are fighting for their own hearths and homes” (21, 74). “The worst thing is to rush into action before the consequences have been properly debated” (7, 74). Thucydides stated in the beginning that “similar events would occur in the future if the same causes are present” (71). It seems obvious to me that the same can be said of patriotism if I can read a speech intended for ancient greeks and think of my present day country.  

Rhetoric

Through recognizing the historical similarities between ancient Greece and present day America (specifically in regards to ideology) I feel it necessary to comment on the magnificent persuasive power of patriotism. The fact that Pericles purposefully begun his speech by appealing to patriotism, that pride of country carried me to the end of the speech. In the middle of his speech, he made questionable statements such as: having more children makes up for the death of one or that the “greatest glory of a woman is to be least talked about by men” (8, 78). (Macey R. has a different interpretation of this quote that is quite interesting.)Though I personally did not agree with those statements, because he successfully utilized rhetoric to convince me to be a team player and embrace the community ideals, I was able to disregard such comments that went against my personal beliefs.

Philosophy

In consideration of the philosophy presented in this speech, I completely agree with Macey R. Not only did Pericles use his speech praising dead men to elevate Athens, he used such a speech to also elevate himself. We learn from the text that Pericles stands on a high platform. Not only is this a means of projection, but I also believe this is a sophist action alluding to their belief of being more knowledgeable than everyone else and thus superior. Furthermore, some of the language was so loaded that it distracted from the men being honored and guided the audience’s attention to the man speaking. This type of performance truly is character of a sophist.