Pericles Speech Essay

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Pericles Pericles, son of Xanthippus and Agariste, was an Athenian democratic who lived from 495 to 429 BCE, and died due to a plague that raged through Athens following the Peloponnesian War. He was one of the earliest believers in history of democratic government, and is known for his efforts in rebuilding Athens after the Persian Wars. He was the elected by the citizens of his state to be the military leader of Athens during the war against Sparta. Since Sparta was not a democratic government, Pericles really wanted to win the war to prove that democracy was the most successful type of government. He even spoke out at a funeral for Athenian soldiers who died in the battle, and explained that the survival of Athenian democracy depended on this war. This very speech was one of the greatest highlights of his life as a democrat, as it displayed his leadership and dedication to his people, and it showed how much he believed in democracy and how important it is to a successful nation. In this speech, he states that the power of the country does not come strictly from the government, but of the country as a whole, as the citizens of the country make up almost the entire population. He believed that every person is equal, and their contribution in democracy should not be influenced by the person’s class, but rather the person’s abilities. He also believed that no one’s contribution to the democracy should be effected as a result of their poverty. He believed that Athens at this time in history was a good representation of what a democratic government really was, as every individual was just as interested in the affairs of the state as they were in their own affairs, so each person therefore took pride in the state. He said that even people who are consumed by their own interests are still actively involved in the politics, and if there is a man that usually minds his

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