Final answer:
The central idea of Pericles' Funeral Oration is that Athenian democracy values and enables the advancement of citizens based on merit, not wealth or class, while ensuring equal justice and freedom.
Step-by-step explanation:
The central idea of the excerpt from Pericles' Funeral Oration, as presented by Thucydides, is that democracy in Athens allows for advancement based on merit rather than wealth or inherited class. Pericles emphasizes that it is the many, not the few, who govern, and that this form of government provides equal justice for all while recognizing and rewarding excellence. Poverty is not a barrier to public service, and while there is reverence and respect for the law in public life, there is freedom and absence of suspicion in private dealings.