A big turning point for Athenians in Ancient Greece was when the Funeral Oration of Pericles took .
Although all male citizens, age eighteen and up were welcome to speak when making descisions .
pertaining to war and foreign policy, only respected leaders did so. For these reasons, Pericles made it .
his personal mission as an Athenian political embassador to expand their democracy and make it more .
welcoming for both upper and lower class alike to have their voices heard.
This essay will expand on the undeniable presence of Pericles in Ancient Greece. It will focus mainly .
on reasons why the Funeral Oration of Pericles clearly idealizes the description of the new, improved, and .
united Athenian Democracy and why it made an impact on Ancient Greece and Western Civilization forever. .
It will also discuss why the reality of this time was not such a great one for the Athenian Army.
It was Winter of 431 B.C. The purpose of the funeral was to honor those soldiers who parished in the .
first campaigns of the war against the Peloponnesians. This war was devastating to all of Athens. It was .
a huge defeat in a war that was never supposed to happen. Peloponese and Athens made a truce not to .
engage in warlike activities for a period of fifty years after the capture of Euboea.The reason for such a .
tragic turn of events was thought to be a simple conflict of interest between the states. Thucydides, who at .
one time served as an Athenian General, had his own opinion. Thucydides felt that the growth of Athenian .
power was inevitable after the fearless defeat against the Persians and this in turn sparked great fear in .
Sparta.
Despite the war and aftermath, some political order was due for Athens. The turn of a new .
democracy was in the making which began with a young aristocrat named Pericles. Pericles led Athens .
to become more involved and attatched to their democratic system. Throughout his time in office, he .
