/ 128 FUNERAL SPEECH OF PERICLES [ll citizen is in any way distinguished, he is preferred to the public service, not as a matter of privilege, but as the reward of merit. Neither is poverty a bar, but a man may benefit his country whatever be the obscurity of his condition. There is no exclusiveness in our public life, and in our private intercourse we are not suspicious of one another, nor angry with our neighbour if he does what he likes ; we do not put on sour looks at him which, though harmless, are not pleasant. While we are thus unconstrained in our private intercourse, a spirit of reverence pervades our public acts ; we are prevented from doing wrong by respect for the authorities and for the laws, having an especial regard to those which are ordained for the protection of the injured as well as to those unwritten laws which bring upon the transgressor of them the reprobation of the general sentiment. 38 ' And we have not forgotten to provide for our weary , ^ , . . . spirits many relaxations from toil : we IVeJtnd relaxation t>t . , , . „ our amusements, and have regular games and sacrifices in our homes ; and the throughout the year; our homes are vjhole world contributes bgautiful and elegant; and the delight which we daily feel in all these things helps to banish melancholy. Because of the greatness of our city the fruits of the whole earth flow in upon us ; so that we enjoy the goods of other countries as freely as of our own. 39 ' Then, again, our military training is in many respects In war we singly are Superior to that of OUT adversaries. I amatchforthePehpon- Qur city is thrown Open to the world, I nesians united ; thoneh j 1 / • / , .J and we never expel a foreigner or we have no secrets and -^ _ ° ^ undergo no laborious prevent him from seeing or learning training. anything of which the secret if revealed to an enemy might profit him. We rely not upon manage-
ment or tricker}', but upon our own hearts and hands. And
in the matter of education, whereas they from early youth are always undergoing laborious exercises which are to make them brave, we live at ease, and yet are equally
