ABSTRACT
Athens suffered a plague more violent and lethal than coronavirus. It did so while it was fighting the equivalent of a world war and, moreover, enduring famine. Its moral order collapsed, but its political institutions withstood the shock and led the city to recovery. Crucial for this was Pericles's discourse to the citizens. He emphasised, first, that the decision to go to war was the citizens’ own — and also a correct one. And, second, that perseverance, along with prudence and luck, could result to a better future, making the city more powerful and prosperous than ever before. A consequential decision made by the citizens themselves; and the prospect of a better future: no statesman in a contemporary democracy is able to refer to such things. While narrow and partial, this juxtaposition to ancient democracy invites reflection on our polity and its direction of travel.
