hile Socrates chooses to pursue neither as prescribed by the state. Pericles thought that in order to further society and in turn benefit the city, its citizens had to strive for excellence by giving of themselves unselfishly to the cause of democracy. This is shown in his praise of the men who gave their lives and received the Oration. He praises them for striving in the name of self-improvement by fighting and dying for the republic they loved. However, within that search for self-improvement Athenian principles also dictated that equality among its citizens is also an important part of citizenship. If the system is to truly work as a republic of equals, each citizen must have the same access to law and opportunity to better themselves socially. Contained within that ideal of Pericles and Athenian principles that everyone should have a chance to be equal is the idea that a man's social class has no bearing in Athens. No man was looked down upon because of his social status and was further given equal access to the laws; however if that said man did not try to improve his social status at all, he was considered a bad example of the Athenian model. Pericles makes a persuasive argument here because in order for a society to grow and develop, each member of that society has to contribute to that expansion by giving of himself/herself via whatever means necessary. Moreover, the idea that all people are equal under the laws is one of the cornerstones of Athenian democracy in the form of majority rule and the opportunity to participate in government in any social class. In the life that Socrates chose to live, self-improvement was only attained through the search of knowledge, not service, and social betterment was a cause for only those immersed in the political life. Socrates in the "Apology" says, "Because of my occupation, I do not have the leisure to engage in public affairs to any extentbut I live in great poverty because of my service...
