Pericles

Statesman and military leader

Born: c. 495 b. c.e.; Athens, Greece Died: 429 b. c.e.; Athens, Greece Category: Military; government and politics

Life The most influential Athenian statesman of his time, Pericles (PEHR-eh-kleez) was of a distinguished family and conspicuous for his political acumen, self-control, oratorical powers, incorruptibility, and patriotism. By advocating popular causes, he gradually gained ascendancy

Pericles.

(Library of Congress)

Over his conservative rivals as he brought to fruition the radical democracy that had long been developing and was characterized by the sovereignty of the assembly and the people’s courts.

Under Pericles’ leadership, Athens completed the transformation of the Delian League into a maritime empire and employed a portion of the tribute paid by member states for the beautification of the city with buildings and statuary. Convinced that the resources of Athens were adequate to winning a war with Sparta, Pericles guided his countrymen into the Peloponnesian War (431-404 b. c.e.). He died from the plague that struck Athens in 430 b. c.e. while the population of Attica was packed within the city walls for protection from an invading Peloponnesian army.

Influence Both the long and devastating Peloponnesian War and the democratic institutions of Athens, which were still flourishing a century after Pericles’ death, were legacies of Periclean policy, as are the Parthenon and other public buildings that visitors to Athens have marveled at across the centuries.

Further Reading

Barringer, Judith M., and Jeffrey M. Hurwitt, eds. Periklean Athens and Its Legacy: Problems and Perspectives. Austin: University of Texas Press,

2005.

Fornara, Charles W., and Loren J. Samons II. Athens from Cleisthenes to Pericles. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1991.

Hornblower, Simon. The Greek World, 479-323 B. C. 3d ed. New York: Routledge, 2002.

Kagan, Donald. Pericles of Athens and the Birth of Democracy. New York: Free Press, 1991.

Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. Indianapolis, Ind.: Hack-ett, 1998.

Hubert M. Martin, Jr.

See also: Aspasia of Miletus; Athenian Empire; Athens; Parthenon; Peloponnesian Wars.