Pericles

Pericles or Perikles (ca. 495–429 BC, , meaning "surrounded by glory") was a prominent and influential statesman. He also was an orator, and general of Athens. He lived between the Persian and Peloponnesian wars. He was descended, through his mother, from the Alcmaeonid family.

Pericles had great influence on Athenian society. Thucydides, a contemporary historian, described him as "the first citizen of Athens". Pericles turned the Delian League into an Athenian empire and led his countrymen during the first two years of the Peloponnesian War. The period during which he led Athens, roughly from 461 to 429 BC, is sometimes known as the "Age of Pericles,". This period though can include times as early as the Persian Wars, or as late as the next century.

In Pericles late 20’s he sponsored a major dramatic production for the festival of Dionysus, and he also entertained the whole city. Pericles also got married and had 2 sons. His wife's name is unknown. He associated with a courtesan named Aspasia. A decade later the people started to like him more and more. He got involved with the politics called Ephialtes. Pericles and Ephialtes took away the noble's powers. Ephialtes was later assassinated.

Pericles promoted the arts and literature. This was a chief reason Athens holds the reputation of being the educational and cultural centre of the ancient Greek world. He started an ambitious project that built most of the surviving structures on the Acropolis (including the Parthenon). This project made the city more beautiful., It also showed its glory, and gave work to the people.L. de Blois, An Introduction to the Ancient World, 99 Furthermore, Pericles fostered Athenian democracy to such an extent that critics call him a populist.S. Muhlberger, Periclean Athens.S. Ruden, Lysistrata, 80.

 Related pages 
 Pericles' Funeral Oration

 References 

 Works about Pericles 
 Aristophanes, The Acharnians. See original text in Perseus program.
 . See original text in Perseus program.
 Aristotle, Politika (Politics). See original text in Perseus program.
 Cicero, De Oratore. See original text in Perseus program.
 Diodorus Siculus, Library, 12th Book. See original text in Perseus program.
 Herodotus, The Histories, VI. See original text in Perseus program.
 Plato, Alcibiades I. See original text in Perseus program, from 
 Plato, Gorgias. See original text in Perseus program, from 
 Plato, Menexenus. See original text in Perseus program, from 
 Plato, Phaedrus, See original text in Perseus program, from 
 Plutarch, Cimon. See original text in Perseus program.
 15px Plutarch, Pericles. See original text in Perseus program.
 Quintilian, Institutiones. See original text in The Latin Library.
, I-III. See original text in Perseus program.
 Xenophon (?), Constitution of Athens. See original text in  Perseus program

Gore Vidal, Creation (novel) for a fictional account of Pericles and a Persian view of the wars.

Category:490s BC births
Category:429 BC deaths
Category:Ancient Greek generals
Category:Ancient Greek politicians