Pericles Golden Age

As many modern historians agree that the Periclean Age of 480 BC to 404 BC championed Athen’s democratic, economic and cultural empire unlike any other period, Pericles contribution was so significant to the extent where, the Periclean Age was identified as Athen’s Golden Age. Through his democratic reforms and policies, Pericles successfully completed the steps towards a “true” democracy and extended wealth, power and cultural influence of the Athenian empire unlike any other politician in Athenian history. Whilst he did not single-handedly delivered Athens into its Golden Age, Pericles’ beneficial reforms and policies provoked and motivated the Athenians to labor towards an ideal Athens. Without Pericles, Athens would have no one as wise

Whilst it was Cleisthenes who found democracy, it was Pericles who effectively made Cleisthenes’ ideal democracy a reality. Through transferring political and judicial autonomy from the Areopagus to the Assembly of the people, Kagan explained that the Areopagus reform fundamentally progressed Athens from a limited to a full democracy, where the majority of Athen’s population, the lower class Thetes, were granted with previously unheard opportunities such as the authority to govern their own cities. Without Pericles, there is no definite possibility as to whether Athens would have established such an unprecedented reform, which effectively ensured an equal political role to every citizen before the end of its Classical Era. Hence, it is agreed that Pericles was completing the steps towards Athen’s Golden Age of Democracy by encouraging Ephialtes to initiate the radical yet revolutionary Areopagus reform, which was never considered before the Periclean Age. Whilst it was Ephialtes who inaugurated the Areopagus reform,

Cartwright argues that it was Cimon who had encouraged the Greek cities to join the Delian League, yet more sources agree that it was ultimately Pericles who transformed the Delian League into the Athenian empire. Through his Cleruchy reform, Bradley affirms that Pericles not only improved the economic lifestyle of the Athenian garrisons by migrating them away from overpopulated Athens to the agarian lands of Delian League allies. Pericles also colonized Delian League members as he converted their governments into the democratic system of Athens, effectively coercing their allies to Athenian control. To reinforce Athen’s imperialism, Pericles unlike any general before, took a step further by moving the Delian League treasury to Athens in 454BC and utilizing both the Cleruchies and the power of the navy to suppress revolts such as the Black Sea rebellion. As no other politician labored towards maintaining Athenian autonomy alike Pericles did, Athens’ Golden Age of Empire would have never excelled without him. Since Athen’s role in the Delian League was to provide military security and protect Hellenes’ trade routes, Pericles utilized the Delian League members’ high reliance on Athens to exercise Athenian control and flourish the