“The ‘Funeral Oration’ is a striking example of fanaticism. This speech by Pericles is, along with its harmony, a sermon of passion that walks hand in hand with pain and death, but also with a sense of superiority.
Although we can only speculate about Thucydides' level of involvement in the context of the ‘Funeral Oration’, we can nonetheless ponder the opinion that the historian operates in the shadow of the great politician and orator when he delivered the ‘Funeral Oration’, a monument of virtue and courage.
We must note that Thucydides stays away from political factions and ideologies. However, he ruthlessly criticizes the democrats for their mistakes and deviations from the rules of genuine democracy, the one that Pericles praises, while simultaneously accusing the oligarchy and its supporters, especially those who played a role in political life during the Peloponnesian War.
The objectivity of the historian is a virtue of his. Some minor deviations do not negate the rule. His objectivity in unfolding the events on the stage of history is his strength. He criticizes the right of the strong and the imposition of violence.”
[Excerpt from a publisher’s or edition's presentation text]
