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Teaching Leaders and Leadership Through Classics A Virtual Conference May 8-22, 2017

Melina Tamiolaki University of Crete (tamiolaki@uoc.gr) Ancient Lessons for Running a (Modern) Empire: An Analysis of Barack Obama’s Chicago Farewell Speech in the Light of Pericles’ Speeches in Thucydides

Synoikisis Project

Sophocles, An7gone

Sophocles, Oedipus Rex

PosiTve Models of Leadership (Modern and Ancient)

Modern America and Ancient Athens

Thucydides on Speeches With regards to the speeches in this history, some were delivered before the war began, others while it was sTll proceeding; some I heard myself, others I got from various people; it was in all cases difficult to carry them word for word in one's memory, so my habit has been to make the speakers say what was in my opinion demanded of them by the various occasions, of course sTcking as closely as possible to the general sense of what they really said (Thuc. 1.22.1-2)

“I” and “you”, “we” and “all” B. Obama Pericles But what was the road by which we reached I first came to Chicago…I began working…my our posiTon, what the form of government conversa7ons with you, the American people…it’s the under which our greatness grew, what the bea7ng heart of our American idea-our bold experiment naTonal habits out of which it sprang; these in self-government…it’s the insistence that these rights, are quesTons which I may try to solve while self-evident, have never been self-execu7ng; that before I proceed to my panegyric upon these We, the People, through the instrument of our democracy, can form a more perfect union. men (Thuc. 2.36.3) All of us, regardless of our party affilia7on or par7cular I will now reveal an advantage arising from interest, help restore the sense of common purpose that the greatness of your dominion, which I we so badly need right now. think has never yet suggested itself to you, which I never menToned in my previous speeches (Thuc. 2.62.1) …the idea that for all our outward differences, we are all in this together; that we rise or fall as one… all of us have more work to do.

Valorizing Lower Classes B. Obama Pericles nor again does poverty bar the way, if a I witnessed…the quiet dignity of working man is able to serve the state, he is not people in the face of struggle and loss… hindered by his lower status (Thuc. 2.37.2) to give workers the power to unionize for beOer wages… And place the real disgrace of poverty not in owning to the fact but in declining the struggle against it (Thuc. 2.40.1-2) “ our founding creed to embrace all not just one ” “all of you enjoy the benefits from our empire” (ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄρχειν, ᾧπερ ἅπαντες ἀγάλλεσθε, Thuc. 2.63.1).

Equality Before the Law, Freedom and Happiness B. Obama Pericles It’s the convic7on that we are all If we look to the laws, they afford equal jusTce to all in their private differences (μέτεστι δὲ κατὰ created equal, endowed by our μὲν τοὺς νόμους πρὸς τὰ ἴδια διάφορα πᾶσι τὸ Creator with certain unalienable ἴσον)….But all this ease in our private relaTons rights, among them life, liberty, and does not make us lawless as ciTzens. Against this the pursuit of happiness…the rule of fear is our chief safeguard, teaching us to obey law, human rights, freedoms of the magistrates and the laws (Thuc. 2.37,1,3) religion, speech, assembly, and an independent press. Αnd considering happiness to be equivalent with freedom and freedom with courage (καὶ τὸ εὔδαιμον τὸ ἐλεύθερον, τὸ δ' ἐλεύθερον τὸ εὔψυχον κρίναντες (Thuc. 2.43.5).

Pride in Democracy B. Obama Pericles For 240 years, our na7on’s call to Our consTtuTon does not copy the laws ci7zenship has given work and purpose of neighboring states; we are rather a to each new genera7on. It’s what led model for others than imitators patriots to choose republic over ourselves (Χρώμεθα γὰρ πολιτείᾳ οὐ tyranny… ζηλούσῃ τοὺς τῶν πέλας νόμους, παράδειγμα δὲ μᾶλλον αὐτοὶ ὄντες τισὶν ἢ μ ι μ ο ύ μ ε ν ο ι ἑ τ έ ρ ο υ ς ) . I t s Our Cons7tu7on is a remarkable, administraTon favors the many instead beau7ful giU. of the few; this is why it is called a democracy (Thuc. 2.37.1)

Appeal to the Ancestors B. Obama Pericles I shall begin with our ancestors ( Ἄρξομαι δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν προγόνων This is the great giU our πρῶτον): it is both just and proper that they should have the honor Founders gave us…our founders of the first menTon on an occasion like the present. They dwelt in the country without break in the succession from generaTon to quarreled and compromised, generaTon, and handed it down free to the present Tme by their valor. And if our more remote ancestors deserve praise, much more and expected us to do the do our own fathers (καὶ ἐκεῖνοί τε ἄξιοι ἐπαίνου καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν) who added to their inheritance the empire which we same…the equal treatment our now possess, and spared no pains to be able to leave their acquisiTons to us of the present generaTon (Thuc. 2.36.2-3) F o u n d e r s p r o m i s e d … t h e essen7al spirit of innova7on and Your fathers receiving these possessions not from others, but from themselves, did not let slip what their labor had acquired, but prac7cal problem-solving that delivered them safe to you; and in this respect at least you must prove yourselves their equals (τῶν τε πατέρων μὴ χείρους κατ' guided our Founders. ἀμφότερα φανῆναι) remembering that to lose what one has got is more disgraceful than to be baulked in ge¤ng, and you must confront your enemies not merely with spirit but with disdain (Thuc. 2.62.3)

ExcepTonal Character B. Obama Pericles So that’s what we mean when we We prepared our city to be the most sufficient in war and peace (καὶ τὴν πόλιν τοῖς πᾶσι παρεσκευάσαμεν καὶ ἐς πόλεμον καὶ ἐς εἰρήνην say that America is excep7onal… αὐταρκεστάτην, Thuc.2.36.4) America is a beOer, stronger place While the magnitude of our city draws the produce of the world (ἐπεσέρχεται δὲ διὰ μέγεθος τῆς πόλεως ἐκ πάσης γῆς τὰ πάντα, Thuc. 2.38.1) than it was when we started…we In short, I say that as a city we are the school of Hellas; …For Athens alone of remain the healthiest, most her contemporaries is found when tested to be greater than her reputaTon, powerful, and most respected and alone gives no occasion to her assailants to blush at the antagonist by whom they have been worsted, or to her subjects to quesTon her Ttle by na7on on Earth…Rivals like Russia merit to rule… (Thuc. 2.41). or China cannot match our influence Remember, too, that if your country has the greatest name in all the world … that we held rule over more Hellenes than any other Hellenic state, that we around the world. sustained the greatest wars against their united or separate powers, and inhabited a city unrivalled by any other in resources or magnitude (Thuc. 2.64.3)

Toil B. Obama Pericles The freedom to chase our individual Our fathers added to their inheritance dreams through our sweat, toil, and the empire which we now possess, and imagina7on. spared no pains (οὐκ ἀπόνως) to be able to leave their acquisiTons to us of the present generaTon (Thuc. 2.36.2)

Love for the NaTon B. Obama Pericles So regardless of the sta7on we occupy, You must yourselves realize the power we have to try harder; to start with the of Athens, and feed your eyes upon her premise that each of our fellow ci7zens from day to day, Tll love of her fills your loves this country just as much as we do. hearts (ἐραστὰς γιγνομένους αὐτῆς) (Thuc. 2.43.1)

Faith in Reason B. Obama Pericles we become so secure in our bubbles that we …we Athenians are able to judge at all accept only informa7on, whether true or events if we cannot originate, and not, that fits our opinions, instead of basing instead of looking on discussion as a our opinions on the evidence that’s out stumbling-block in the way of acTon, we there. Poli7cs is a baOle of ideas…but think it an indispensable preliminary to without a willingness to admit new informa7on, and concede that your any wise acTon at all (Thuc. 2.40.3) opponent is making a fair point, and that science and reason maOer, we’ll keep talking past each other, making common ground and compromise impossible.

STgmaTzing Intolerance B. Obama Pericles For the fight against extremism We throw open our city to the and intolerance…are of a piece world (τήν τε γὰρ πόλιν κοινὴν w i t h t h e fi g h t a g a i n s t παρέχομεν), and never by alien authoritarianism and na7onalist acts exclude foreigners from any aggression. opportunity of learning or observing (Thuc. 2.39.1)