Pericles (495 BC-429 BC) was an Athenian statesman and strategos during the “Golden Age” of Athens. His father Xanthippus fought in the Persian wars and his mother Agariste belonged to the powerful Alcmaeonid family, so he was brought up with considerable wealth and power. Pericles placed much value into philosophy and the arts as a result and was even personal friends with famous philosophers such as Anaxagoras and Zeno. His first significant act was sponsoring a play by Aeschylus in 472 BC and not much else is noted in his history until 463BC, when he tried to prosecute and ostracise Cimon for allegedly failing and betraying Athens by missing an opportunity to capture Macedonia. Cimon was eventually ostracised in 461 BC and after a successful …show more content…
He funded several building projects, such as the Parthenon started in 447, but also set laws allowing poorer people to be paid for jury duty and other important civil services. However, other laws and rules were set by Pericles that helped make Athens more imperialistic and a more powerful leader- such as the coinage decree that forced all city-states within the Delian league to use the same money and measurements, the enforcement of garrisons within unruly members and the loss of autonomy in places such as Aegina because they wished to leave the league. However, Sparta became concerned of Athens actions and behaviour under Pericles, (especially towards her ally Corinth, as they drew their enemy Megara into the league) and Pericles’ policies, especially his exclusion of Margarian trade, Led to the first Peloponnesian war in 431 BC. His strategy was to evacuate the Athenian countryside and retreating to the walls of Athens, leaving the navy to attack Sparta opportunistically. However, this decision costed him dearly. The crowded population within Athens walls lead to a plague that killed him and his two sons in