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Articulated Values of Athenian Democracy
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Authored by Frank Redmond, 2012
The purpose of Pericles' Funeral Oration is to show the value of the city of Athens in comparison to her opponents and critics. This is seen in 2.37 where Thucydides writes: “We have a form of government that does not try to imitate the laws of our neighboring states”. He continues that Athens is a model, a paradigm, for other states because of her democratic ideals and society. He wants to show that Athens shines before all others and that is why Pericles, later in his speech, articulates what he thinks the value of democracy is.
In Pericles' democracy, the ideal of providing the citizenry with hesychia is essential. So, he says that “we have provided many ways to give our minds recreation from labor: we have instituted regular contests and sacrifices throughout the year, while the attractive furnishings of our private homes give us daily delight and expel sadness” ( 2.38). For a city to be prosperous and content, it must provide its citizens with modes of relief from war and hardship. Living in a city with democratic ideals should not be a drag, but should be a delight, and the city should provide for its citizens ways to enjoy themselves. This is one value of a democratic system.
Democracies are also philosophical by nature and places where the best are born to shine. As Pericles says: “We are lovers of nobility {philokaloumen} with restraint, and lovers of wisdom {philosopoumen} without any softening of character” ( 2.40). Note the use of the word “philos”. Part of living in a democracy is learning to cultivate love, appreciation, and brotherhood for the city and for your fellow citizen. Another part of living in a democracy is understanding when to restrain yourself. An individual living in a democracy must learn to walk the tightrope, meanwhile always cultivating virtue and wisdom. Democracies should be places conducive to learning how become wise or virtuous.
Democracies are places where diversity thrives and where individualism is second nature. Pericles says: “I say that our city as a whole is a lesson for Greece, and that each of us presents himself as a self-sufficient individual, disposed to the widest possible diversity of actions, with every grace and great versatility” ( 2.41). This hearkens back to the speeches in Book One where Athens is cast in an entrepreneurial light. Part of the military planning of Athens involves showing great individualism and a diversity of actions. So it only makes sense that the city of Athens should have some of the same attributes as its army. The people of democracies, according to Pericles, are not herd orientated, but are out for themselves, and are not single-minded brutes, but can think in a variety of ways.
Likewise, democracies are not stagnant creatures, but are full of movement {kinesis} and daring {tolme}. Athens is a place where lots of kinetic activity is going on. Part of Pericles' speech is dedicated to his showing how diverse and versatile the Athenians are in the face of danger. For “you who remain may pray for safer fortune, but you must resolve to be no less daring {tolme} in your intentions against the enemy” ( 2.43). Part of being in a democratic, free society is being daring and showing your enemies that you mean business. This is set in contrast to the Spartan system that exhorts you to be slow and always be on the defensive. Once again, Pericles is doing what he began his speech with – a comparison between Athens and the others. No one, in the estimation of Pericles, is as tolme as the Athenians and that is to their advantage.
So these are the values that Pericles spells out for democracy – hesychia, philos, tolme, and the English words of individualism, diversity, and versatility. Also, democracy means the Athens is unique in comparison to her neighbors. Democracy, therefore, also extols uniqueness.