MENEXENUS by Plato

What does it mean to honor the dead—and who controls the stories we tell about our past? In Menexenus, Plato offers a surprising and ironic take on public oratory and patriotic memory. After the death of an Athenian statesman, Socrates recites a funeral speech supposedly taught to him by Aspasia, the brilliant companion of Pericles. At first glance, the speech follows the noble conventions of Athenian funerals—praising the fallen, glorifying the city, and inspiring the living. But beneath the surface lies a subtle critique of rhetoric, nationalism, and the manipulation of public emotion. Is this speech sincere, satirical, or something in between? Brief, witty, and thought-provoking, Menexenus stands apart in Plato’s works as a sharp commentary on political speech and collective identity. It invites readers to reflect not just on what is said—but on why and how it’s said.