In Thucydides' On Justice, Power and Human Nature and Sophocles' Oedipus plays, they use language and speeches to convey the same things. The political orders in these works use their speeches to form a sense of purpose, sway political views and to manipulate for their own personal self-interest.

In both of their works, Thucydides and Sophocles write of a speech that instills a sense of ambition. In On Justice, Power and Human Nature, Pericles uses the oration not only to respect the departed, but to instill in the Athenians national pride and a zest to fight. The speeches that were given at funerals would primarily talk about the ancestors of the deceased and the lives they led. Pericles acknowledges this custom and proceeds to remind Athens what they are fighting for. He claims that the Athenian government is more of "an example to others, then they are to...