HIS 101 and 111
Pericles Paragraph Assignment
The Erechtheon was a temple on the north side of the Acropolis in Athens dedicated to both Erechtheus, a king of Greek myth and the legendary founder of the city of Athens, and also the god Poseidon. The temple was built circa 421 to 407 BCE, near the end of Pericles's Golden Age and his massive building program that transformed the city of Athens. In the courtyard outside the temple grew the city's sacred olive tree. The porch on the north side of the temple, as seen here, is considered by many to be one of the best examples of columns of the ionic order. The porch on the south side was supported by six maiden figures (the six caryatids). In the nineteenth century Lord Elgin--of the Elgin Marbles infamy--carted off one of the caryatids to his home in Scotland and destroyed another one in the process. Thus, only four remain in the Acropolis Museum. (See below for the Porch of the Maidens. Some of the caryatids are reproductions.) Photos credit C. Wayne and Dorothy Miller.
Citing specific evidence from the Funeral Oration (not the textbook), what were the main features of Athenian democracy according to Pericles?
Some Suggested Websites for further study on this assignment:
- The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization is an excellent site that accompanies the PBS series. See, for example, the page on Pericles.
- See the extra credit assignment with material on Thucydides.
- Dr. J's Illustrated Pericles' Funeral Oration by Janice Siegel, Illinois State University, is a rather interesting take on Pericles.
- Pericles' Funeral Oration -- Hear and Read the Full Text (also a Greek version)
- Two videos: Thucydides 13: Funeral Oration of Pericles -431BC and Funeral Oration of Pericles
- The Funeral Oration, Context and Meaning; Text and Translation
Your paragraph must follow this format:
- begin with a concise topic sentence (sentence 1) that directly responds to the assigned question (no need to define terms or cite a dictionary) and that identifies your analysis/thesis points.
- font size 10 or 12 only
- one-inch margins
- double-spaced
- direct, quoted material to support your points
- name, and only your name, at the top left of the paper
- about one-half page in length (not to exceed 3/4 page)
- You may consider submitting a draft of your assignment to your instructor for feedback before submitting the assignment for the grade. At times, you may be asked to rewrite your work. This is done for your own benefit and will result in an improved grade.
Please take a moment to review Charlie's History Writing Center for specific information on the writing requirements for the assignments in the course. Please check this short explanation of what it means to cite historical evidence.
Your assignment should be submitted on Canvas.
