Today's Passage
This passage comes from Pericles' Funeral Oration (430 BCE), delivered to honor Athenian soldiers who died in the first year of the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
“In short, I say that as a city we are the school of Hellas, while I doubt if the world can produce a man who, where he has only himself to depend upon, is equal to so many emergencies, and graced by so happy a versatility, as the Athenian. And that this is no mere boast thrown out for the occasion, but plain matter of fact, the power of the state acquired by these habits proves. For Athens alone of her contemporaries is found when tested to be greater than her reputation, and alone gives no occasion to her assailants to blush at the antagonist by whom they have been worsted, or to her subjects to question her title by merit to rule. Rather, the admiration of the present and succeeding ages will be ours, since we have not left our power without witness, but have shown it by mighty proofs; and far from needing a Homer for our panegyrist, or other of his craft whose verses might charm for the moment only for the impression which they gave to melt at the touch of fact, we have forced every sea and land to be the highway of our daring, and everywhere, whether for evil or for good, have left imperishable monuments behind us. Such is the Athens for which these men, in the assertion of their resolve not to lose her, nobly fought and died; and well may every one of their survivors be ready to suffer in her cause.
Modern Translation
In essence, I declare that our city serves as the educational model for all Greece. I doubt whether the world can produce an individual who, relying solely on his own resources, can adapt to so many different situations with such remarkable versatility as the Athenian citizen. This is not empty rhetoric crafted for this occasion, but demonstrable fact, as the power our state has acquired through these qualities clearly proves. Athens alone among contemporary powers, when put to the test, exceeds her reputation. She alone prevents her enemies from feeling shame at being defeated by her, and gives her subjects no grounds to dispute her worthiness to rule. Indeed, both present and future generations will admire us, for we have not allowed our power to pass unrecorded. We need no Homer to sing our praises, nor any poet whose verses might temporarily enchant but whose impressions dissolve when confronted with reality. We have compelled every sea and land to open before our adventurous spirit, and everywhere—whether our influence proved beneficial or harmful—we have established everlasting monuments. This is the Athens for which these men fought and died with noble determination to preserve her, and for which every survivor should be prepared to suffer.
Historical Context
This passage comes from Pericles' Funeral Oration (430 BCE), delivered to honor Athenian soldiers who died in the first year of the Peloponnesian War. As Athens' foremost statesman, Pericles uses this ceremonial occasion to articulate Athenian democratic values and imperial ideology. The speech serves multiple purposes: consoling the bereaved, justifying Athens' war effort against Sparta, and reinforcing civic identity. Pericles presents Athens as the pinnacle of Greek civilization—a 'school of Hellas'—whose power derives from the versatility and self-reliance of its democratic citizens. This idealized portrait contrasts sharply with the plague and suffering that would soon devastate Athens, making the speech both a high point of Athenian self-confidence and a tragic irony in Thucydides' narrative.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
School of Hellas
This famous phrase encapsulates Athenian cultural imperialism, presenting Athens as the educational and civilizational model for all Greeks. It reflects the city's self-perception as the cultural capital of the Greek world during its golden age under Pericles.
Learn more →Athenian Imperialism
The reference to 'imperishable monuments' alludes to Athens' extensive empire, including colonies, allied cities, and architectural projects throughout the Aegean. This imperial reach was both a source of pride and the underlying cause of conflict with Sparta.
Learn more →Homer and Historical Memory
Pericles' rejection of poetic commemoration in favor of tangible achievements reflects a new historical consciousness. Unlike Homeric heroes who needed poets to preserve their fame, Athens claims its power speaks for itself through concrete accomplishments.
Learn more →Democratic Versatility
The emphasis on individual Athenian versatility (polytropy) connects to democratic ideals where citizens participate in multiple spheres of life—military, political, economic—unlike the specialized warrior culture of Sparta.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Plutarch: Life of Pericles (Chapter 8)
Plutarch describes Pericles' vision of Athens and his building program, providing biographical context for the imperial ideology expressed in the funeral oration.
Read passage →Herodotus: Histories (Book 7.139)
Herodotus praises Athens as the savior of Greece during the Persian Wars, establishing the precedent for Athenian claims to Greek leadership that Pericles elaborates.
Read passage →Xenophon: Constitution of the Lacedaemonians (Chapter 1)
Xenophon's praise of Spartan specialization and discipline provides a contrasting model to the Athenian versatility that Pericles celebrates.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Pericles' vision of Athenian exceptionalism compare to modern claims of national superiority? What are the dangers of such rhetoric?
- Is Pericles' claim that Athens needs no poets ironic, given that we know of this speech only through Thucydides' literary recreation?
- How might Pericles' emphasis on leaving 'monuments everywhere, whether for evil or for good' be read as an unconscious admission of imperial brutality?
- What tensions exist between democratic ideals of equality and imperial claims to rule over others 'by merit'?