ipl-logo

Pericles Golden Age Of Athenian Leadership

900 Words4 Pages

Pericles was an influential statesman and general remembered for leading Athens during the Golden Age. Athens was a strong city-state of Greece, but would gain more power and significance through Pericles. Pericles was born into an aristocratic family, which helped him develop his political interests and strong leadership (Tschen-Emmons). He then gained more publicity through a scandal with the Athenian statesman Cimon, allowing him to lead the democratic faction (Eddy). He led Athens to its greatest political height, creating the Athenian Empire out of the Delian League. This would be his basis for the other important achievements regarding Athens’ Golden Age of political dominance, cultural development, and interactions with Sparta. Without …show more content…

The Delian League was originally formed in 476 BCE as an offensive and defensive alliance against Persia during the Greco-Persian Wars. The League consisted of Greek states that would pay tribute to Athens in order to maintain the Athenian fleet and protect the city-states (Viscusi). Meanwhile, during this time, Pericles gained more influence over the people as the leader of the democratic faction, after the issues with Cimon regarding Sparta. The situation would lead to Cimon’s ostracization and cause greater rivalries between Athens and Sparta (Eddy). Because of this, Pericles gained control and used the League’s treasury to benefit Athens instead of its original purposes, by introducing measures to enhance the city. Pericles also expanded the League to more areas in the Peloponnesian coast, and his strategy of creating a land empire would help Athens reach its greatest territorial extent. Meetings of the League's assembly soon stopped, and the states in the League would have no voice. Because of this, the areas in the alliance became part of the Athenian Empire under Pericles’ control …show more content…

The Athenian Empire was able to emerge because of the rich culture developed in Athens through Pericles’ leadership. One aspect of his significance was using the League’s treasury for civic improvements in Athens. Pericles promoted Athens by commissioning the building program of the Acropolis, including the Parthenon, Propylaea, and Odeon. These buildings enhanced the city’s beauty, provided employment, and developed Greek architecture ("Pericles"). These structures also symbolized the Greek attitude of aspiring towards excellence, seen in the balance and symmetry of these buildings. Pericles also cared about the well being of the citizens by introducing measures providing pay for Athenians in services, and lowering theater admission prices for the poor (Viscusi). These measures benefitted the lower class, promoted entertainment for all people, and better balanced society. Also during Pericles’ rule, artists, poets, and scholars came to Athens from all parts of the Hellenic world; the city becoming the cultural and philosophical center of Greece, and creating “The Golden Age of Athens” (Eddy). The construction of the Acropolis and the acts regarding the citizens showed Pericles’ love for the city and developed Athens into a great

Show More
Related

How Did Pericles Influence His Government

152 Words | 1 Pages

After Thucydides' ostracism, Pericles was re-elected yearly to the generalship, the only office he ever officially occupied, although his influence was so great as to make him the de facto ruler of the state. For more than 20 years Pericles led many expeditions, mainly naval ones. Being always cautious, he never undertook of his own accord a battle involving much uncertainty and peril and he did not accede to the "vain impulses of the citizens". He based his military policy on Themistocles' principle that Athens' predominance depends on its superior naval power and believed that the Peloponnesians were near-invincible on land. (The fleet, backbone of Athenian power since the days of Themistocles, was manned almost entirely by members of the

Read More

Ap World History Dbq Questions And Answers

548 Words | 3 Pages

The Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike, and the Erechtheion are located in Athens. All of them were built with extraordinary talents and skills. 2. Philosophy achievement. “The great Athenian philosopher Socrates, born in 469 BCE, a decade after the Greek defeat of the Persians.”

Read More

Thucydides Grievances

444 Words | 2 Pages

After the formation of the Hellenic League which successfully repelled Persia from Greece, the alliance broke up into two major forces. Thucydides claims “at the head of the one stood Athens, at the head of the other Lacedaemon, one the first naval, the other the first military power in Hellas.” (1.18) Athens and allies became the Delian League, which continued fighting in Asia Minor in order to conquer and liberate Persian controlled Greek states, and Sparta and allies formed the Peloponnesian League. However, once peace had been established with Persia in 449, the Delian League was reformed and Athens held hegemony over the allies and utilized them as tribute paying subjects.

Read More

Pericles Peloponnesian War Essay

513 Words | 3 Pages

Later on, he served as the general against Sparta. He was exiled from the country after Athens lost a war on his leadership. After thirty years of war, Athens was completely devastated and lost its empire (Brand, n. d.). According to Thucydides, Pericles managed to control and guides the destructive power of the people during his leadership but after his death, the mod is misled by Demagogue "leader of the people" and they use the poor masses for the political reasons. Similarly, many aristocrats think the Demagogues, the stupid mass of the common people by the democratic system led Athens to fall (Brand, n.

Read More

How Did Pericles Influence Athens

166 Words | 1 Pages

Pericles was born in 494 BC, and was raised in an aristocratic family. Pericles was very intelligent, had a lot of integrity. He was also susceptible to being bribed. He was one of the reasons why the Delian League's treasury was moved to Athens, another being Athens and their views of others not being trustworthy enough to look after. The main use Athens had for the treasury was for rebuilding the Acropolis, the Acropolis was a marvellous feat which served as a great monument for Athenian.

Read More

Was Pericles A Good Leader

301 Words | 2 Pages

Pericles the powerful, was the best leader of Athens. He was a mighty general, a brilliant orator, a good politician, and he was a patron of the arts. Under his great leadership came Athens golden age. Pericles is often credited for transforming the allied city-states into the Athenian empire, which there is some truth to. His military conquests include a successful military campaign in 454, which created many Athenian colonies in Thrace, and on the Black Sea coast.

Read More

How Did Cleisthenes Respond To Public Life?

1701 Words | 7 Pages

Pericles popularity is well known for harnessing that mob power to steer Athenian society, while Thucydides is known for claiming weaker demagauges (rabble rousers) that followed are what lead to Athens eventual downfall (Brand, 2013, p. 34). Sparta, being a oligarchy, had a much clearer set of public offices consisting of two kings, a weakly empowered assembly of all male citizens, powerful elders over age sixty called the Geriousia, and five annually elected magistrates called Ephors whose powers often contested the kings during their one year terms (Brand, 2013, p. 9). Much like the Metics of Athens, Periokoi were foreigners of ATHENIAN VERSUS SPARTAN GOVERNANCE 4 Sparta who could gain much wealth filling tradesmen roles, but would never participate in Spartan governance (Brand, 2013, p. 3). The only people allowed in public office were native born Spartans who met specific requirements.

Read More

What Impact And Influence Did Pericles Have During His Time?

1477 Words | 6 Pages

Instead, these contributions skew away from his social impact and narrow down towards the political and military impact he had on Athenian society. Source C is an ancient source, created by Plutarch, that highlights the political and social influence Pericles held over powerful men, who chose to uplift and honour Pericles at his deathbed for his contributions to Athenian society. These two sources both mention the impact of Pericles, though they mention different contributions. Source A would be more useful for a historian looking into modern interpretations of Pericles’ creative and infrastructural contributions, whereas source C would be more useful for a historian looking into the ancient interpretations of Pericles’ political and social

Read More

Similarities Between Alexander The Great And Pericles

209 Words | 1 Pages

Two remarkably prominent individuals primitive to the Western Civilization era known to be Alexander the Great & Pericles who spearheaded their powerful empires through fortitude, sentiment, and ambition. Alexander the great ruled one of the most expansive empires that was known to have been the most protrusive of the ancient world, his father Phillip of Macedon, left him with a myriad of conquered kingdoms and consumed almost innumerable countries that became inherited by Alexander the Great. He went to dire extremes to take what he desired, with an almost manifest destiny sensibility. He achieved such great feats through marriage, conquest, battling alongside his warriors, overcoming personal issue while giving unexpected respect to his

Read More

The Importance Of Citizenship: Why Athens Was The Better System

504 Words | 3 Pages

Citizenship : Why Athens was the Better System Athens was a small city compared to Rome that honored and protected citizenship. There was a constant importance of acknowledging all citizens hard work and participation. Athenians made it clear that the poor helped build the city 's power and not just the wealthy. They took politics very seriously and made sure that everyone had a voiced opinion. Hard work and equality is what makes a nation outstanding.

Read More

A Primary Text Analysis: The Funeral Oration Of Pericles

664 Words | 3 Pages

Pericles argues that Athens has become a model for others, and articulates what it is to be a good citizen. This can be seen when he says, “although the eyes of an enemy may occasionally profit by our liberality; trusting less in system and policy than to the native spirit of our citizens; while in education, where our rivals from their very cradles by a painful discipline seek after manliness, at Athens we live exactly as we please, and yet are just as ready to encounter every legitimate danger.” (Thucydides, 2.39) It proves that Ancient Athens’ valued greatness and worked in order to achieve the excellence of the state, by focusing on rebuilding themselves back up after the Persian war. Pericles played a big role in this because he showed his ambitions to rebuild Athens, which lead to the thriving of other subjects such as literature, philosophy, science, art, and religion.

Read More

Why Was Athens Successful

875 Words | 4 Pages

Athens, located in southern Greece, experienced an expansion in culture and education during the years between the Persian War and Peloponnesian War (477-431 BC) which set the stage for future expansions of culture in civilizations like Ancient Rome and Europe during the Renaissance. Although Athens was very prosperous, innovative and ruled by strong leaders during their Golden Age, they still didn’t have a perfect government or social structure which puts into question how successful this period actually was. 1st Paragraph (Outline) Pericles 's had great success in beautifying Athens and increasing its culture, through innovative art and architecture, as well advances in theater, which created a Golden Age because the people of Athens experienced

Read More

Dr Hyde Good Vs Evil Essay

803 Words | 4 Pages

Robert Steveson once wrote, “In each two natures are at war - good and evil”, highlighting the struggle between good and evil within people. In the short novel In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Mr. Utterson, a lawyer, tries to unravel a mystery of occurrences and connections between a murderous criminal and a renowned doctor. As the story progresses, the complicated relationship between the doctor and the criminal is revealed and exposes the duality of the doctor. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson emphasizes the duality of man through contrasting emotions of virtue and evil causing internal conflict. In Chapter 3, one can balance good and evil, but oftentimes, one tends to lean toward one side rather than another.

Read More

Polis In Ancient Greek Life

1255 Words | 6 Pages

The Polis and Ancient Greek Life To the Ancient Greeks, the Polis was the center of their way of life. From socializing to conducting business to even deciding whether to go to war, the Polis was a very important aspect of the Greek’s lives. In the essay, the functions of the Polis will be discussed along with how the Polis managed to bring about the formation of Democracy, with the Polis of the city of Athens being the main example. The importance of the Polis will be explored through this essay because without the Polis, Democracy as we know it may not have ever formed. In ancient Greece, the Polis was the center of everything, consisting of the main town, but also farms and villages surrounding the polis.

Read More

Advantages Of Athenian Democracy

1042 Words | 5 Pages

Undoubtedly it helped the citizens of Athens to broaden their minds, their cultural awareness and, what was probably most important, to develop

Read More

More about Pericles Golden Age Of Athenian Leadership

Related Topics

Open Document