Today's Passage
This passage comes from Pericles' Funeral Oration in 431 BCE, delivered during the first year of the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
“Again, your country has a right to your services in sustaining the glories of her position. These are a common source of pride to you all, and you cannot decline the burdens of empire and still expect to share its honours. You should remember also that what you are fighting against is not merely slavery as an exchange for independence, but also loss of empire and danger from the animosities incurred in its exercise. Besides, to recede is no longer possible, if indeed any of you in the alarm of the moment has become enamoured of the honesty of such an unambitious part. For what you hold is, to speak somewhat plainly, a tyranny; to take it perhaps was wrong, but to let it go is unsafe. And men of these retiring views, making converts of others, would quickly ruin a state; indeed the result would be the same if they could live independent by themselves; for the retiring and unambitious are never secure without vigorous protectors at their side; in fine, such qualities are useless to an imperial city, though they may help a dependency to an unmolested servitude.
Modern Translation
Furthermore, your country has every right to demand your service in maintaining the glory of its position. This glory is a source of pride shared by all of you, and you cannot refuse the responsibilities of empire while still expecting to enjoy its privileges. You must also remember that you are fighting not simply to avoid exchanging freedom for slavery, but to prevent the loss of your empire and the dangers arising from the hatred you've incurred through its administration. Moreover, withdrawal is no longer an option—even if some of you, panicked by present circumstances, have suddenly fallen in love with the apparent virtue of such a modest policy. To speak frankly, what you possess is a tyranny; perhaps it was wrong to seize it, but it is certainly dangerous to let it go. Citizens who advocate such passive policies and convert others to their views would swiftly destroy our state. Indeed, the outcome would be identical if they established their own independent community, for those who choose passivity and lack ambition can never be secure without powerful defenders beside them. In short, such attitudes are worthless to an imperial city, though they might suit a subject state content with safe servitude.
Historical Context
This passage comes from Pericles' Funeral Oration in 431 BCE, delivered during the first year of the Peloponnesian War. Pericles, Athens' leading statesman, is addressing Athenian citizens at a public funeral for those who died in the war's opening campaigns. He moves from praising the dead to warning the living about the harsh realities of maintaining their empire. The speech reveals the paradox of Athenian imperialism: the democracy that prided itself on freedom had become a tyrannical power that could not safely relinquish control. Pericles acknowledges that Athens rules through fear and that any sign of weakness would invite rebellion from subject states and attack from rivals like Sparta. This frank admission about the nature of Athenian power marks a crucial moment in Thucydides' analysis of how democracies can become trapped by their own imperial success.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Athenian Empire
By 431 BCE, Athens controlled over 150 city-states through the Delian League, extracting tribute and imposing democratic governments. This maritime empire provided Athens with enormous wealth but also created resentment among subject states who viewed Athenian rule as tyrannical.
Learn more →Empire as Tyranny
Pericles' admission that Athens holds a 'tyranny' is remarkably candid. The Greek concept of tyranny (tyrannis) meant rule without consent, maintained by force. This acknowledgment contradicts Athens' self-image as the champion of freedom against Persian despotism.
Learn more →Imperial Trap Theory
Pericles articulates what modern scholars call the 'imperial trap'—once a state builds an empire through force, it cannot safely retreat without inviting revenge from former subjects and appearing weak to rivals. This dynamic would ultimately contribute to Athens' downfall.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Plutarch: Life of Pericles (Chapter 28)
Plutarch records how Pericles advised Athenians that their city had become like a chariot drawn by spirited horses—once set in motion, it could not be safely stopped without disaster.
Read passage →Xenophon: Hellenica (Book 2.2.23)
Xenophon describes the aftermath of Athens' defeat in 404 BCE, when former subject states demanded Athens' complete destruction, validating Pericles' warnings about the dangers of relinquishing empire.
Read passage →Aristotle: Politics (Book 5.1313b)
Aristotle analyzes how democracies can transform into tyrannies when pursuing empire, echoing Thucydides' observation about the corrupting effects of imperial power on democratic values.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Pericles' admission that Athens holds a 'tyranny' complicate our understanding of Athenian democracy and its values?
- Is Pericles' argument about the impossibility of retreat convincing, or is it a rationalization for continued aggression?
- What modern parallels can you identify to the 'imperial trap' that Pericles describes?
- How might subject states have responded to this speech if they had heard it? What does this reveal about the gap between Athens' internal and external rhetoric?