"funeral oration" was recorded by thucydides in book two of his "history of the peloponnesian war". thucydides records the speech as if every word in the record was what pericles said. however, people agree he did, at least, correct or change the speeches a little. thucydides says in his "history" that the speeches are not completely the same as what was really said, but written to show the main ideas of what was said. it is quite certain that pericles delivered a speech at the end of the first year of the war. however, people are not sure how much thucydides' record is the same as pericles' actual speech.