In Book 2 of The Peloponnesian War by Thucydides, the Athenian general Pericles gives two extraordinary speeches. One is a eulogy and the other a response to an angry and devastated populace in the midst of war and pestilence.
These speeches create a beautiful blend of history and exploration. Thucydides presents the historical facts of war—the size of armies, the results of certain battles, and naval vs land strategies. But it’s the speeches that allow him to explore the mindset, beliefs, governance, values, and national habits that play a role in those battles.
Gone are the gods of Homer. Can democracy, courage, experience, and dialogue take the place of the gods? How do the strategies, preparations, provisions and levels of courage differ between the people of the Peloponnese and the Athenians? We learn about these things in these speeches. We learn about the leader’s ideas and the feelings of the populace. It’s a fascinating way to present history.
In this podcast episode, I cover two speeches by Pericles and then compare a set of speeches by the Peloponnesian commanders and Athenian leaders. All speeches covered occur in book 2 of 8 in Thucydides great masterpiece.
The Speeches of Pericles