Good + Bad + Ugly of Pericles according to Plutarch

Use a quote to describe one positive quality possessed by Pericles (according to Plutarch)

- "For this man, Pericles entertained an extraordinary esteem and admiration, and, filling himself with this lofty, and, as they call it, up-in-the-air sort of thought, derived hence not merely, as was natural, elevation of purpose and dignity of language, raised far above the base and dishonest buffooneries of mob-eloquence, but, besides this, a composure of countenance, and a serenity and calmness in all his movements, which no occurrence whilst he was speaking could disturb, a sustained and even tone of voice, and various other advantages of a similar kind, which produced the greatest effect on his hearers."

Plutarch could not dispute the fact that Pericles was an especially strong orator, and had a profound and unshakeable quality to his speeches, which had strong effects on his listeners.

Use a quote to describe one negative quality possessed by Pericles (according to Plutarch)

- A frequent criticism of Pericles among his contemporaries was that he took a hard line against Sparta and pushed his city toward war not due to any higher principle or strategic goal, but to deflect charges brought against his closest friends and political allies.

‘This is admirable in thee, Pericles, and deserving of wreaths, in that thou hast lost us many brave citizens, not in a war with Phoenicians or Medes, like my brother Kimon, but in the subversion of an allied and kindred city.’ (calls out Pericles for starting a fight with his allies, which was frowned upon.)

On Elpinice’s saying this, Pericles, with a quiet smile, it is said, quoted to her the verse of Archilochus: ‘Thou hadst not else, in spite of years, perfumed thyself.’ (Pericles is full of himself, he's receiving wreaths and praise for winning a battle against a people that he ultimately caused, and is making the best of it.)

Write a sentence explaining one limitation of Plutarch’s life of Pericles as an historical source.

 - Seeing as Plutarch is an ancient secondary source, we can only assume how trustworthy his opinions on Pericles are. His bias as a Greek biographer is reflected in his (debatable) distortion of historical record to make it fit his ideas of life as a battle between good and evil. Ultimately his history is a subjective interpretation.

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 9, 2021 at 10:16 PM

    When talking about the bias of Plutarch, you should probably mention his bias towards Kimon, due to him being a democrat during the rise of the Republican agenda and Pericles being more of an Aristocrat with some Democratic values.

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