Honor Unchallenged in Death

The only thing worse than dying is dying in vain.  So there are the great speeches made on the battlefield, and then there are those made to prevent people from not going back to the battlefield, like Pericles' Funeral Speech.

In this perhaps quite long piece of epideictic, or ceremonial, oratory, Pericles seems to utilize pathos as he speaks to the people about the death of those they have loved.  As Eli noted in his post, the kairos involved in this selection of a time and place and setting is prime: these people are feeling irrational.  They're also really vulnerable because of this, which can go either way: vulnerable to feel like Athens has unjustly taken away the lives of those they loved, or vulnerable to feel like Athens is a city above all others and deserving of every ounce of courage they can muster from their spouse, parent, child, and dog.  Yet after the emotions subside, they will also have to remember this speech in a manner that will continue to elevate and maintain their high opinion of Athens.

Pericles tactfully identifies the decorum of such a situation, where his audience and setting and situation are at a current state of irrationality, but will regress to a rational viewpoint as time separates the audience from the recent deaths of their loved ones.  With prudence he brings up examples where Athens is simultaneously the greatest and the most unique: politically, socially, academically, etc.  You name it, they've got it, and they had it first and best.  By bringing up the grandness of their home, Pericles is simultaneously fortifying the logic behind their loved ones dying for such a place, as well as further inspiring them through emotion and rationale to continue loving and fighting for Athens.  He praises the dead, along with those who are continuously willing to die for their home.  The men fueling the wars of Athens will not see a shortage anytime soon.

Riding to your death can be an emotional experience; better make it appeal to your logic, too.
"Forth! Down fear of darkness!...Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered!...Ride now... Ride! Ride for ruin and the world's ending! Death!"

You Become What You Say You Are

Thucydides’ understood the power of oratory.  I go along with Ryan R. who stated his belief that he felt as though Thucydides' speech was not a deliberative speech, but an epideictic speech; however, I would have to take it a step further and say that it is both.
    
Epideictic: We, as humans (and I can personally attest to this by looking at the contents of my last blog on the power of praise) are motivated by praise and expectations.  It is a bit ridiculous the praise that he is giving to the people- not necessarily the soldiers- even in such a moment when people are looking to grasp any words of comfort.  With a phrase like “They have blotted out evil with good, and done more service to the commonwealth than they ever did harm in their private lives” he is focusing on what the people want to hear in the present (nice use of Kairos).  The encomium is so forceful that it hits the heart of his audience in a deliberative way.

Deliberative: Thucydides' endless compliments to Athens and his people are more of a call to action rather than a soothing of the soul.  He could have just chosen to compliment the fallen Pericles, but instead he appeals to their pathos by helping them recognize that if they do not live up to the great potential of Athens, all of their fighting, and all of their deaths will be in vain.  He is looking to the future, although speaking of the past lives of these men.  These people can be a benefit to Athens if they decide to stand up and unite.  But what are his reasons for such a way of speech?

There are many reasons as to why Thucydides’ wrote his speech the way he did.  I would like to add on to that list and throw in the possibility that his praise and honor are a way for him to encourage the men to fight- only that he himself will not have to and will be able to remain in a comfortable Athens.  As sad as it is to say, too often have I seen personal motives drive a person to apply encomium in his or her speech.  In conclusion I’d say Thucydides’ praises the men and Athens, while deliberately calling for future action in an effort to protect himself.     

Finding Support from Those Without

It's difficult enough to prepare an eulogy for a man who died under relatively pleasant circumstances- let alone a mass burial for soldiers who expired during a failed excursion.  I suppose the main reason such a speech seems a daunting task lies in a general feeling of inadequacy: How, under any circumstance, could one person deliver the proper words to accurately convey the emotions, thoughts, and dreams of another?

In the Spring of 2013, my father passed away unexpectedly from a pulmonary embolism.  As we made preparations for the funeral, there was particularly heavy deliberation surrounding the speakers, and I ultimately felt, as Pericles stated, "Our belief in the courage and manliness of [a man] should not be hazarded on the goodness or badness of [another] man’s speech. ... The man who knows the facts and loves the dead may well think that an oration tells less than what he knows and what he would like to hear."  Despite what Isaac said in his post, that's exactly what I wanted from the speakers at my dad's funeral: An admission that, no matter how hard they tried to capture his essence, their words couldn't compare in the slightest to the experiences and personal history I had with him.  Frankly, I really wish tradition didn't dictate the necessity of attempt.

Assuming the Grecians felt similar ties to their loved ones, Pericles' words and decision to speak instead of the reason those men fought in the first place created a greater sense of healing and closure for those in attendance.

In speaking so deliberately of each soldier's dedication to the valor of Greece, Pericles' call to action is difficult to miss: True to the form of encomium, he exhorts his audience, "It is for you to try to be like them."  Of all people to attempt to convince of the necessity to uphold an empire, I feel the greatest success is to be had with the bereaved- so much raw emotion comes from such circumstances, and it can prove destructive.  However, Pericles' invitation provides a route through which to channel that energy: Raising children, enjoining the war effort, and attempting to remember that "One’s sense of honor is the only thing that does not grow old, and the last pleasure when one is worn out with age, is not, as the poet said, making money, but having the respect of one’s fellow men."

Carrot and the Stick

There's probably nothing better in life than being praised. As humans, we thrive off of the acceptance of others. From a very young age, we are taught that being the "best" is superior to being anything else. We were envious of the children who get praised by the teacher for the best handwriting. We were jealous of the kids who got bigger trophies on the team. To be the best, is frankly, the best.

Knowing this, it is easy to see why revolutionary speechwriters would choose to use epideictic oratory, particularly encomium. Encomium is using praise to get a point across. In his speech, activist Robert Owens continuously uses encomium to encourage his audience to realize the importance of truth.

There are many uses of phrases like: "Men of industry, and of good, virtuous habits!" "Men of industry, producers of wealth and knowledge, and of all that is truly valuable in society!" "Men of industrious habits, you who are the most honest, useful and valuable portion of society, by producing for it all its wealth and knowledge..." So on, and so forth. It is very obvious that this guy is good at praising the people he is addressing.

What is the rhetorical effect of such a move? For me, it comes down to a sort of "carrot-stick" idea. Some people respond better to punishment, some to reward. Owens is using praise as a form of reward to encourage his audience to listen to him and to respect him. Think about it, isn't it easier to respect someone who apparently respects you? By creating a sense of mutual respect between himself and the audience, he increases the chances of his audience listening to him and putting his ideas into action.