Statesman · 495 BC – 429 BC
Pericles
Key Takeaways
- Pericles led Athens during its cultural and political golden age.
- He strengthened and expanded Athenian democracy.
- He directed the building of the Parthenon and the monuments of the Acropolis.
- He gave the famous Funeral Oration praising Athenian democracy.
So completely did Pericles shape his time that the golden age of Athens is simply called the Age of Pericles. Leading a democracy through persuasion rather than command, he raised his city to the height of its power and brilliance.
Democracy and the Parthenon
Pericles deepened Athenian democracy — even paying citizens to serve in public office so the poor could take part — and poured the city’s wealth into a stunning building program. The Parthenon and the other monuments of the Acropolis rose under his direction, symbols of Athenian confidence that still stand today.
The center of the Greek world
Inheriting the naval strength built by Themistocles, Pericles made Athens the cultural capital of Greece, the city of Socrates and the great dramatists. He led Athens into the Peloponnesian War against Sparta and died of plague in its early years — his deeds and speeches preserved by the historian Thucydides. This statesman of classical Greece remains the embodiment of its golden age.
Influence
Pericles presided over the most celebrated era of Athenian civilization, advancing democracy and leaving the monuments and ideals that defined classical Greece.
Legacy
His name marks the golden age of Athens, and his vision of democracy and civic glory still echoes in the modern world.
Connections
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Pericles?
Pericles (c. 495–429 BC) was an Athenian statesman who led the city during its golden age, expanding democracy and building the Parthenon.
What is the Age of Pericles?
It is the name for the brilliant period of Athenian democracy, art, architecture and philosophy in the mid-5th century BC over which Pericles presided.
Citations & Sources
People Like Pericles
Themistocles
79Themistocles was an Athenian statesman and general whose foresight built the navy that saved Greece, and whose brilliant strategy at the Battle of Salamis destroyed the Persian fleet and turned back Xerxes's invasion.
Why An earlier Athenian leader whose naval power Pericles inherited and built upon.
Socrates
95Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher credited as a founder of Western philosophy, famous for the Socratic method of questioning and for his trial and execution in Athens.
Why The philosopher who flourished in the Athens that Pericles led.
Thucydides
82Thucydides was an Athenian historian and general whose History of the Peloponnesian War set the standard for rigorous, evidence-based history and remains a foundational text of political and military analysis.
Why The historian who recorded Pericles's speeches and the war that followed his age.
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