伯里克利的葬礼演说是修昔底德为伯罗奔尼撒战争历史撰写的演讲。伯里克利发表演讲不仅是为了埋葬死者，也是为了赞美民主。

伯里克利是民主的伟大支持者，是伯罗奔尼撒战争期间的希腊领导人和政治家。他对雅典如此重要，以至于他的名字定义了伯里克利时代（“伯里克利时代”），这一时期雅典重建了在最近与波斯的战争（希腊-波斯战争或波斯战争）中被摧毁的东西。

演讲历史

在这场演讲之前，雅典人，包括那些土地被敌人掠夺的乡下人，被关在拥挤的雅典城内。伯罗奔尼撒战争开始时，一场瘟疫席卷了这座城市。关于这种疾病的性质和名称还不清楚，但最近最好的猜测是伤寒。无论如何，伯里克利最终死于这场瘟疫。

在瘟疫肆虐之前，雅典人已经死于战争。战争爆发后不久，伯里克利在葬礼上发表了鼓舞人心的演讲，赞扬民主。

修昔底德热情支持伯里克利，但对民主制度不那么热心。在伯里克利的领导下，修昔底德认为民主是可以控制的，但没有他，民主可能是危险的。尽管修昔底德对民主持不同态度，但他在伯里克利口中发表的讲话支持民主政体。

修昔底德为伯罗奔尼撒战争的历史撰写了他的佩里克利演讲，他欣然承认他的演讲只是松散地建立在记忆的基础上，不应该被当作逐字记录。

葬礼演说

在以下演讲中，伯里克利就民主提出了以下观点：

• 民主允许人们因功绩而进步，而不是财富或继承的阶级。
• 在一个民主国家，公民在做自己喜欢做的事情的同时，不必担心被窥探。
• 在民主国家，在私人纠纷中，人人享有平等的正义。

以下是演讲：

"Our constitution does not copy the laws of neighbouring states; we are rather a pattern to others than imitators ourselves. Its administration favours the many instead of the few; this is why it is called a democracy. If we look to the laws, they afford equal justice to all in their private differences; if no social standing, advancement in public life falls to reputation for capacity, class considerations not being allowed to interfere with merit; nor again does poverty bar the way, if a man is able to serve the state, he is not hindered by the obscurity of his condition. The freedom which we enjoy in our government extends also to our ordinary life. There, far from exercising a jealous surveillance over each other, we do not feel called upon to be angry with our neighbour for doing what he likes, or even to indulge in those injurious looks which cannot fail to be offensive, although they inflict no positive penalty. But all this case in our private relations does not make us lawless as citizens. Against this fear is our chief safeguard, teaching us to obey the magistrates and the laws, particularly such as regard the protection of the injured, whether they are actually on the statute book, or belong to that code which, although unwritten, yet cannot be broken without acknowledged disgrace."

来源

贝尔德，福里斯特E.，编辑。古代哲学。第六版，第一卷，劳特利奇，2016年。