2.6.14, ASSESSMENT
Pericles’ Funeral Oration, 431 BCE
AME ______Class: B____
WHAT: Speech given in honor of dead Athenian soldiers
WHEN: c. 431 bce; after year 1 of the Peloponnesian War between Greek cities – Athens and Sparta
SPEAKER: Pericles, the leader of Athens
AUTHOR: Speech recorded by the historian Thucydides in The History of the Peloponneisan War
(translated by A.E. Zimmern)
There they wiped out evil with good… There no hearts grew faint because they loved their riches more than honour; no poor man shirked his duty in the hope of future wealth. All these they put aside to strike a blow for the City.
Counting the quest to avenge her honour as the most glorious of all ventures, and leaving Hope -- the uncertain goddess -- to send them what she would, they faced the foe as they drew near him in the strength of their own manhood; and when the shock of battle came, they chose rather to suffer the utmost than to win life by weakness.
So their memory has escaped the reproaches of men’s lips, but they bore instead on their bodies the marks of men’s hands, and in a moment of time, at the climax of their lives, were rapt away from a world filled, for their dying eyes, not with terror but with glory.
PART I: Make inferences from text and cite supporting evidence.
3 correct = Mastery 2 correct = Proficient understanding 0-1 correct = Confusion
1. ____ Sentence 4 begins with the phrase, “Counting the quest to avenge her honor as the most glorious of all ventures.” One may infer from this phrase that the city of Athens
2.6.14, ASSESSMENT
Pericles’ Funeral Oration, 431 BCE
a. had never been defeated in war.
b. was home to the greatest of all the Greeks.
c. had once been disrespected by a rival.
d. was the site of an athletic competition.
2.6.14, ASSESSMENT
Pericles’ Funeral Oration, 431 BCE
2. ____ Use clues from sentence 2 to complete this inference: Pericles believed human beings could be corrupted or tragically flawed by
2.6.14, ASSESSMENT
Pericles’ Funeral Oration, 431 BCE
a. a lack of intelligence.
b. faith in many gods.
c. physical weakness.
d. financial greed.
2.6.14, ASSESSMENT
Pericles’ Funeral Oration, 431 BCE
3. ____ There is evidence from the text that the soldiers of ancient Greece fought face-to-face, striking each other in acts of hand-to-hand combat. Which sentence supports this inference?
2.6.14, ASSESSMENT
Pericles’ Funeral Oration, 431 BCE
a. Sentence 1
b. Sentence 2
c. Sentence 3
d. Sentence 5
2.6.14, ASSESSMENT
Pericles’ Funeral Oration, 431 BCE
PART II: Determine the meaning and tone of words in context.
3 correct = Mastery 2 correct = Proficient understanding 0-1 correct = Confusion
4. ____ Which of the following words from the text carries a negative tone?
a. honour
b. shirked
c. goddess
d. manhood
5. ____ Based on clues, which word in sentence 5 signifies “an expression of blame or disapproval”?
a. reproach
b. climax
c. rapt
d. terror
6. ____ At the end of sentence 4 Pericles writes: “They chose rather to suffer the utmost than to win life by weakness.” Pericles speaks these words with a tone of
a. jealousy
b. disappointment
c. thankfulness
d. admiration
PART III: Establish the order and inter-relatedness of ideas in a text.
3 correct = Mastery 2 correct = Proficient understanding 0-1 correct = Confusion
7. ____ What text structure does the speaker use to communicate his ideas?
a. Description
b. Sequence of events
c. Problem-Solution
d. Compare-Contrast
8. ____ What idea connects paragraph 1 with paragraph 2?
a. Greed destroyed the Athenians.
b. Athenians valued courage more than hope.
c. Athenian survival required strength and faith.
d. Military service intimidated – even frightened – the Athenians.
9. ____ Which statement best connects the ideas of paragraphs 2 and 3?
a. Because they relied on hope, then Athenian soldiers were torn away from the world.
b. The Athenians became terrified when the shock of battle came.
c. By choosing to suffer, the Athenians experienced true glory.
d. Athenian strength turned to weakness at the climax of their lives.
PART IV: Analyze point-of-view from text.
3 correct = Mastery 2 correct = Proficient understanding 0-1 correct = Confusion
10. ____ Pericles speaks from the perspective of
a. a sad relative mourning the loss of a fallen soldier.
b. a proud leader recalling the bravery of his men.
c. a prisoner of war, reluctantly praising his captors.
d. a god of Mt. Olympus looking down respectfully upon the city-state of Athens.
11. ____ The purpose of Pericles’ speech is to
a. entertain the listener with suspenseful tales of heroism in battle.
b. persuade the listener that Athens is the greatest city-state of Greece.
c. inform the listener of his soldiers’ sacrifice, so that the listener might give respect.
d. persuade the listener that evil does exist in the world.
12. ____ It is evident from the text that Pericles holds which of the following opinions?
a. The Athenians are a superior civilization.
b. The Athenians are an inferior civilization.
c. Athenian soldiers are not men but gods.
d. Athenian soldiers are not warriors but slaves.
PART V: Identify the central idea of a text, and establish an objective summary.
2 correct = Mastery 1 correct = Basic knowledge 0 correct = Confusion
13. ____ Which statement offers the best objective summary of the text?
a. Unfortunately, the Athenian soldiers could not gain honor and glory for themselves except by dying in battle. Sadly, they went to their graves without seeing their families again. Their glorious leader Pericles gave them praise, and the civilizations today should look upon their sacrifices and give them similar honor.
b. The soldiers of Athens wanted to win respect for their home city, but they discovered in battle that winning respect would cost them their lives. So they chose to die. In the end, their leader Pericles heaped praises upon them, speaking of the honor and glory they achieved through self-sacrifice.
c. Pericles wanted to write a funeral speech to honor Athenian soldiers who died in battle, but he could not praise them without first determining whether their actions in battle deserved respect. So he studied their actions. In the end, he determined that most of the men were worthy of respect and admiration.
d. Pericles wanted to win the Peloponnesian War, but his men were undersized and poorly trained. So, like a child, he complained about them in a speech. In the end, his hopes were dashed as the Athenian soldiers were killed like animals on the battlefield.
14. ____ Which statement best captures the central idea of this text?
a. Fear is temporary; fame is eternal.
b. Love of money is the path to evil.
c. Honor and glory are won by the brave.
d. Hope is the best weapon.