In 431, shortly after the Peloponnesian War had broken out, Pericles delivered his famous Funeral Oration where he appeals to his listeners' virtue and the greatness of Athens.
As in his two other speeches, the War Speech and the Last Speech, Pericles' aim in the Funeral Oration was to convince the Athenians that their cause was worth fighting for.
"Our city is worth admiration and is a lesson for the whole Greece" is the main message of Pericles' speech.
In his view, the highest achievements of civilization are not buildings or works of art, or even institutions, but individual and public qualities, known as virtues, that contribute to the overall quality of people.
Pericles extolls several of the virtues of Athens, most of them centered on the then-unique form of democracy. He relates the special qualities of the Athenians, redefining many traditional Greek virtues in a radical new light.
Athenians, according to Pericles, are able to put aside their petty wants and strive for the greater good of the city. Bound together by bonds of mutual trust and a shared desire for freedom, the people of Athens submit to the laws and obey the public officials not because they have to, as in other cities, but because they want to. Athenians had thus achieved something quite unique - being both ruled and rulers at one and the same time.
In the speech, Pericles says:
Democracy allows men to advance because of merit instead of wealth or inherited class.
In a democracy, citizens behave lawfully while doing what they like without fear of prying eyes.
In a democracy, there is equal justice for all in private disputes.
For better understanding on Pericles' Funeral Oration, see the following summary/analysis from links below:
PBS.org - Pericles Funeral Oration in Depth
ThoughtCo.com - Pericles' Funeral Oration - Thucydides' Version
SchoolworkHelper.net - Pericles’ Funeral Oration Analysis: Athenian Democracy