tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26428110.post3917005313624052239..comments2023-07-08T09:00:54.916-07:00Comments on A Common Reader: The Peloponnesian War: Strategy and Pericles’ funeral oration (2:1-46)Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13688525659034403580noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26428110.post-4965590572787259262018-10-27T14:00:19.002-07:002018-10-27T14:00:19.002-07:00Thanks for your note. There's a lot going on i...Thanks for your note. There's a lot going on in the funeral oration, and one part I love is how Pericles ends up contradicting himself in the speech (although he wouldn't have seen it as a contradiction). He starts off celebrating the cultural and democratic aspect of Athens, but then language creeps in that celebrates the empire aspect of Athens. <br /><br />The overstatement of awesomeness parts were probably necessary if he wanted to stoke the city's inhabitants to continue fighting the war and having to have more funeral orations over the dead that fell in the war. Dwighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13688525659034403580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26428110.post-78266876696842324752018-10-27T13:24:17.336-07:002018-10-27T13:24:17.336-07:00I thought Pericles' funeral oration was cool b...I thought Pericles' funeral oration was cool because he emphasized that Freedom is not an end in and of itself, but it is a means to the good life, and that is why it is worth cherishing. The speech was cool because while Pericles seems to overstate the awesomeness of Athens as she was, it seems like he really believed those ideals. <br /><br />Thank you for your insight!Gorgohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07821495559801867152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26428110.post-18784550607297600232016-12-02T13:12:17.554-08:002016-12-02T13:12:17.554-08:00Wonderful! I'm glad it's helpful.
Reed in ...Wonderful! I'm glad it's helpful.<br />Reed in Portland? I no longer travel there for business...which is my loss. Here's hoping I get to visit there again soon.Dwighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13688525659034403580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26428110.post-88364305511438013182016-12-02T11:42:22.080-08:002016-12-02T11:42:22.080-08:00Dwight! You are well loved in the Reed College fre...Dwight! You are well loved in the Reed College freshman class, you have such wonderful insights. Thank you. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26428110.post-50008566001638146432013-02-14T20:31:03.438-08:002013-02-14T20:31:03.438-08:00Jacob, no need to apologize. I'm glad these po...Jacob, no need to apologize. I'm glad these posts help in understanding this great work! Good luck on your tests.Dwighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13688525659034403580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26428110.post-72637339495162366782013-02-14T19:59:39.491-08:002013-02-14T19:59:39.491-08:00I don't know why I'm commenting only on th...I don't know why I'm commenting only on this part, but I find the series of blog posts on The Peloponnesian Wars a very well written accompaniment to reading the actual copy. I find that from a high schooler's point of view, only part of Thucydides' message reaches the immature reader's mind but this makes up for some of the understanding that is lost. Also... this helps a lot before the bookly (that a word?) tests :D<br />Jacobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926023398508933215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26428110.post-48122445118320243952012-11-13T13:14:43.408-08:002012-11-13T13:14:43.408-08:00I always have an opinion! I'll point you to a ...I always have an opinion! I'll point you to a few things I would keep in mind on writing such a paper.<br /><br />What was the purpose of the speech? (immediate reason--funeral speech, vs. what Pericles wanted people to remember) Why is death mentioned so little in a funeral speech? (see <a href="http://bookcents.blogspot.com/2012/02/leo-strauss-lectures-on-thucydides-1972_08.html" rel="nofollow">Lecture 5 in this post</a> for that topic)<br /><br />While Pericles delivers the speech, Thucydides is recording it. What is his bias? Look at <a href="http://bookcents.blogspot.com/2011/01/peloponnesian-war-plague-recriminations.html" rel="nofollow">the next post</a> and see Thucydides' defense of Pericles...how does his feelings come into play for the funeral speech? (Little in Thucydides can be viewed on its own...there are always comparisons and contrasts) Pericles is a politician--how much of what he says is purely political? Given his strategy (that Thucydides defends), how much of the speech is to prepare them for a drawn-out defensive war?<br /><br />Hopefully that gives you some topics to frame the paper. While I don't think there is any right answer, I do think Thucydides provides some clues on what Pericles was trying to do with such a speech.Dwighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13688525659034403580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26428110.post-19721945880047005522012-11-12T18:58:04.449-08:002012-11-12T18:58:04.449-08:00I have a paper due asking me if I believed what Pe...I have a paper due asking me if I believed what Pericles said in his speech. Do you have an opinion on him over stating Athens?BInspired2dayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09906102581496830553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26428110.post-51810054601226621842012-10-24T08:11:01.761-07:002012-10-24T08:11:01.761-07:00Glad to hear that Zev--hope you do well!Glad to hear that Zev--hope you do well!Dwighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13688525659034403580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26428110.post-44843482649601407912012-10-23T20:07:46.777-07:002012-10-23T20:07:46.777-07:00Dwight,
I've got a midterm exam tomorrow in c...Dwight,<br /><br />I've got a midterm exam tomorrow in classical political theory class and I just got to say, this post was quite helpful in my understanding and preparation.<br /><br />Cheers!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12459731017327847920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26428110.post-80106350759453032822012-10-23T07:04:17.527-07:002012-10-23T07:04:17.527-07:00I'm glad it was helpful. Thanks for letting me...I'm glad it was helpful. Thanks for letting me know!Dwighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13688525659034403580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26428110.post-59699634709067466992012-10-22T18:24:30.993-07:002012-10-22T18:24:30.993-07:00So grateful for this, had a hard time getting thro...So grateful for this, had a hard time getting through the readings and this helped me immensely. Thank for your insights Slizzabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12812064474368372737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26428110.post-86327815497367880742012-05-31T05:36:33.102-07:002012-05-31T05:36:33.102-07:00Absolutely. I've responded by email. Good luck...Absolutely. I've responded by email. Good luck!Dwighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13688525659034403580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26428110.post-47510289708892281482012-05-31T01:35:23.661-07:002012-05-31T01:35:23.661-07:00hi, i am i high school student doing an ancient hi...hi, i am i high school student doing an ancient history assignment on Pericles. My assignment requires me to incorporate modern perspectives on Pericles. May I use a quote from your article on Pericles and source it? If I am sourcing the quote it requires your full name (I couldn't find your full name on your profile)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06980711531829994976noreply@blogger.com