Athenian Civic Identity in Pericles Funeral Speech and Aristophanes play Lysistrata
Thucydides, an Athenian historian writing during the latter half of the fifth century BCE wrote a funeral speech down by Pericles after the speech was given, we need to consider this when thinking about how close the written version is to the reality of what was said. The speech was given to the citizens of Athens during a mass funeral for the soldiers that had died in war. Thucydides wrote the context of the circumstances around the speech before writing his recollection of the speech. The speech focuses on the history and inherited aspects of the city as a whole and infers that there should be a lot of pride in this. His reference to ‘ancestors’, ‘same people’, ‘struggles for the empire’ sparks a feeling of civic pride and inherited values such as strength, overcoming obstacles and independence. When compared to the greek comic play Lysistrata by Aristophanes we can find out more about how an ancient Athenian felt about their own civic pride. Lysistrata brings a viewpoint of how civic identity may look while being a woman in Athens during the 5th century BCE, although it is written by a man. The language used is much more feminine and gentle ‘nurtured in sumptuous splendour’ and focused on the acts of women growing up ‘As soon as i was seven years old…’ (Aristophanes, Lysistrata, 638-56) and then birthing and raising children themselves in Athens ‘I contribute men to it’. In the wider context of the play the women’s standpoint comes from not only the financial outcomes of the war but also the emotional fallout for the women that are left behind when the men are consistently gone or dying. For them civic identity is based around their own nurturing and that of their sons, according to Aristophanes.
The important thing when considering the cultural context of these two sources is to think about how they apply to the actual reality of Athenian culture and identity and if they can be considered accurate representations of this identity and the public viewpoints at the time, or if they were manipulated in some way to show a kind of Athenian identity that may not be the whole truth, or it may apply to some citizens and not others. With the case of speeches heard and written down by Thucydides he says ‘it was difficult for me to recall the precise details in the case of those I heard myself’ and he says that he writes down what he thinks would be ‘appropriate’ and ‘close to the intention’ of what was said. Which then brings up questions of authenticity and whether or not he had reasons to change and manipulate what was said and even if not, how accurately could he remember it. For Lysistrata we need to consider whether or not the ideas of how women are portrayed, the men at war are portrayed and the affects that war had on civic identity would be accurate in what is firstly a piece of fiction and also a comedic one at that. It does bring up questions of whether the piece reflects the personal opinions of Aristophanes or other citizens of Athens.
The implication that these sources have for us to understand civic identity in Athens in the 5th century BCE involve firstly; the possible different attitudes of men and women at the time, the themes of war and death in both extracts and how citizens from different genders, classes and positions feel about war, the death of the citizens at war, the implications on the people left behind and the financial fallout from it. It seems as though Pericles believes that courage and honour, both of which are important Athenian values, are important not only to the individuals but to their families left behind ‘a bequest of their courage. They deserve our praise’. Lysistrata, although written by a man focuses on an alternate point of view because it focuses on how women feel about war, about being left behind while their sons and husbands are gone or then die and how they feel that they also are important for society and have valuable things to contribute both physically and mentally to the society in Athens ‘I owe it to the city to give her some good advice. And if i was born a woman don’t be indignant with me on that account’.
The similarities that these sources have when considering civic identity are that they both talk of being Athenian being of great importance to individuals, they both talk of sacrifice and giving up parts of their life for the city and the greater good of the citizens. However that is all they really have in common at al. I believe and there are many more differences than similarities, for example the Pericles speech tends to be in support of war, even the loss of lives for the benefit of Athens, it suggests that war is necessary for the empire and that gratitude should be given to those who have died. The Lysistrata extract challenges this and does so from the imagined viewpoint of the women of Athens. Lysistrata focuses on the loss of lives being a devastation for the wives and mothers left behind and a ‘squandering’ of the financial resources also. What both say about Athenian civic identity is that battling, risking your life and doing so for the city is part of the identity of Athenian citizens but one suggests that this is necessary and something to be proud of and the other that it is a waste of lives and money.