When it is a question of settling private disputes, everyone is equal before the law; when it is a question of putting one person before another in positions of public responsibility, what counts is not membership of a particular class, but the actual ability which the man possesses. No one, so long as he has it in him to be of service to the state, is kept in political obscurity because of poverty.
–“Funeral Oration,”
Pericles
What point does Pericles make about the laws of democracy?
Laws help men gain more possessions and become richer.
Laws only help the people who have government positions.
Laws are unequal to citizens because they put one person before another.
Laws are equal for people who have money and for people who live in poverty.
1 answer
Pericles makes the point that in a democracy, the laws are meant to ensure equality when settling disputes, regardless of social class or wealth. He emphasizes that ability and service to the state should determine who holds positions of public responsibility, rather than wealth or social status. The laws are meant to provide equal opportunities for all citizens, regardless of their economic situation.