Answer:
Pericles' speech about democracy, known as the Funeral Oration, was a significant moment in the history of Athens. It was delivered by Pericles, a Greek leader and statesman during the Peloponnesian War¹. The speech was written by Thucydides and was not only to bury the dead but to praise democracy¹.
In the speech, Pericles made several points about democracy¹:
- Democracy allows men to advance because of merit rather than wealth or inherited class.
- In a democracy, citizens behave lawfully while doing what they like without fear of prying eyes.
- In a democracy, there is equal justice for all in private disputes.
Here is a part of that speech:
"Our constitution does not copy the laws of neighboring states; we are rather a pattern to others than imitators ourselves. Its administration favors the many instead of the few; this is why it is called a democracy. If we look at 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 we enjoy in our government also extends to our ordinary life."¹
Unfortunately, I couldn't find the original Greek text of the speech. If you're interested in reading the full speech, you might want to look for a complete translation of Thucydides' "History of the Peloponnesian War", which includes Pericles' Funeral Oration.