Pericles Speech Position Paper(Position :Pericles' Speech was not an accurate representation of Athenian society)

Pericles lived in Athens of Classical Greece around 431 B.C. He made a famous speech around this time to the Athenian people about the ideals of the Greek culture. Although this articulate speech is quite famous, it does not accurately describe the realm of Athenian lifestyle. Pericles makes Athens sound like an absolutely perfect city, in which no wrong can be done. In the Greek culture there are very strong class barriers, and Pericles speaks …

…elections are only decided by only about one sixth of the Athenian population as a whole. Pericles also describes the Athenian military as one of the most prestigious in the world even after they lost one of the greatest wars of the time, the Peloponnesian War. Many elements in Pericles' speech were not persistent with the real Athenian culture. The majority of the people did not have the rights that were outlined in Pericles' speech.