Michelle Lotfi Mlotfi2@uic.

edu Word Count: 821 2nd Source Criticism Paper What are the major objections to thenian democrac! raised b! the author" #o$ does the te%t compare to Pericles& 'uneral oration" While the author of this manuscript( )*he Constitution of thens+( is un,no$n( it is clear that he $as a clear anta-onist to the traditional thenian democrac! durin- the hei-ht of the thenian .mpire circa /01 2C.. *he author attempts to hi-hli-ht pitfalls of the thenian democrac! $hilst be-rud-in- its apparent success. *he author&s major objection to the $a! the thenian democrac! is run and re-ulated is that its bac,bone has been re3ealed to be the thenian poor4the uneducated( the un5ualified( and the unfortunate. *he author maintains that since the poorer classes and the common people of thens man the fleet of the all po$erful thenian na3!( the! can therefore -i3en the credit as those $ho )ha3e brou-ht the cit! her po$er+. #o$e3er his tone maintains that this credit is undeser3ed not in action but the accompan!in- benefits are undeser3ed. #is statement that )the ri-ht of speech should belon- to an! one $ho li,es( $ithout restriction+ is spo,en $ith the tone of incredulit! seein- as freedom of speech $as one of those undeser3ed. Common people are allo$ed to contribute their ph!sical assets to maintain the empire( but not their mental ones4such as the ri-ht to address the council $ith opinions that are inferior due to lac, of proper education. People $ith the proper education as $ell as the )hi-hest scrupulousness in the pursuit of e%cellence is to be found in the ran,s of the better class+( or $hat he also deems )persons of -ood 5ualit!+. 6n contrast( )the -reatest amount of i-norance( disorderliness( rascalit!+ and naturall! lac, of education is to be found in the common people. *he author( as a )-ood person+( feels unappreciated and insulted that people of lo$er status $ould ha3e influence in the -o3ernment. Whether that influence carries e5ual $ei-ht or an! at all( the author is con3inced that the unfortunate class should not e3en be allo$ed such pri3ile-e7 nor should the! be allo$ed to ha3e pri3ile-e at the e%pense of the upper class. #e further objects to the rules of the democrac! $hen it comes to $ho is footin- the entertainment bills of the polis. *he $ealth! pa!s for the common people to be trained and to compete in the races and on the same to,en( it is the $ealth! man $ho stands at the helm of the na3! or headin- athletics $hile )the People profits b! their labors+. 6n this li-ht( the author contends that $hile the Poor benefit from this e%chan-e( the rich are made poorer and ha3e less to -ain. -ain( the author does not dispute that the common thenians contribution to the na3! is $hat ensures the sur3i3al of the empire( his major objection is the 3er! fact that he cannot let himself dispute )the justification of the e5ualit! conferred upon our resident aliens+ because of this same reason. *his author&s objections to the democrac! and be-rud-in- ac,no$led-ment that contribution from the common class is a necessit! to a successful thenian empire is at odds $ith accolades to the same thenian democrac! proclaimed durin- Pericles& funeral oration. Pericles spea,s of the -reat friendliness that thens possesses and ho$ this camaraderie inspires -ood $ill from their allies. *his is at odds $ith the harsh

realit! that thens demanded tributes from allies and that that s$ift and brutal punishment is $hat the! faced should the all! not $ith to defer to thens& polic!. *he author le3els $ith his reader and baldl! sa!s that often )the better people are punished $ith infam!( robbed of their mone!( dri3en from their homes( and put to death( $hile the baser sort are promoted to honor+. #e e%plains that the empire reco-ni8es to subdue an enem!( one must ta,e the upper class out of pla!( and re$ard the lo$er class b! lea3in- them )onl! enou-h to li3e upon9but po$erless to harbor treacherous desi-ns+. *his does not e%actl! match the ima-e painted b! the $ords of camaraderie and -ood $ill b! Pericles. 6t becomes apparent to an indi3idual $ho has read both te%ts that one must ta,e into account the intended audience and the platform on $hich $ords are spo,en. Pericles $as chosen to be the orator of a 3er! public funeral honorin- those fallen in the line of dut! to their empire. #e had a cro$d full of people to soothe $ith $ords of encoura-ement that the sacrifice of the dead $as meanin-ful and his $ords -lorif!in- thens reflect this. Compare this to )*he Constitution of thens+ $ritten b! this un,no$n author( his rhetoric reflected the unpopular opinion( ser3in- to critici8e the thenian democrac! as $ell as the poor citi8ens. 6t $as probabl! ne3er meant to be publicl! circulated( just discussed amon-st the author&s circle of conser3ati3es4er-o little -lorification and a lot of sharin- an u-l! realit!.