Standing outside the walls of Athens after the opening battles of the Peloponnesian Wars against Sparta and its allies, Pericles, the leader of Athens, delivered an enduring funeral oration and memorable, praising those who had fallen and inspiring those who were yet to serve. Pericles' Funeral Oration demonstrates the Homeric concept of arete to substantiate his claim that Athens is the School of Hellas, drawing on the ideals of their ancestors and their political system, invoking their rights, responsibilities and moral fiber as Athenians, and citing their rights, rightly so. dominant status in the region due to their superior ideals and lifestyle. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Pericles notes how his ancestors founded Athens on freedom and democratic values ​​and implores the citizens of Athens to take up arms to defend those ideals. He maintains that Athens alone is the School of Hellas; The theocracy of Sparta snatches children from their mother's arms to kill them, while in Athens their democracy creates a system that benefits all, the Greek legacy. Pericles implores his listeners not to be dismayed by the fallen but to fight for their memory. Their status as equal and contributing members of Athenian society, for the benefit of all, is both their right and their responsibility, for this is the Hellenic way and is still highly valued today. He also praises their moral fiber, inspiring them by telling them stories of Athenians triumphing over extremely injurious odds and coming out on top. There will always be a few against the many, says Pericles, but this should not be dismaying, it is the Greek sense of honor that will lead them to victory over their enemies and their inferior moral strength and integrity. Pericles appeals to the Athenians' claim that they are the legitimately dominant power in the region through their Homeric ideal of arete. He argues that their superior lifestyle, lush compared to Spartan, gives them power and righteousness over their enemies. Their Hellenic ideals will always triumph; the fire that Prometheus gave to man must never be extinguished. Pericles states that this is their guaranteed path to victory. Unknowingly it goes all the way back to Hector, who must fight against the Mycenaeans even though he knows he will die, in an attempt to inspire the Athenians in a courageous last effort. Even though Pericles dies of the plague, and his stay with Sparta leads to the destruction of Athens, he is the greatest leader Athens has had the pleasure of producing, and his ideas would inspire those to this day (just take a look to Lincoln's book Gettysburg Address). He details the Hellenic concept of honor and arete, demonstrating to the world in a last courageous stand against surrounding enemies the values ​​for which we should die, evident even today, in our support for the military. Pericles uses his Funeral Oration to exemplify these themes and inspire many beyond those listeners outside the walls of Athens on that faithful day..