What Impact And Influence Did Pericles Have On His Time?

What contributions, impact and influence did Pericles have on his time?

Pericles held the most significant impact in the Athenian spheres of the military, infrastructure and politics, where his most significant, and only careers were. Pericles advocated for the radicalisation of Athenian democracy and ultimately achieved it, allowing more citizens to participate in political affairs and jury duties. He often used his wealth, and the tributes from the Delian League to execute government systems and construction programs to stimulate the Athenian economy and employment rates. Regardless of the exclusivity of ancient Athenian democracy (excluding women and those of non-Hellenic descent), Pericles’ influence and actions of his time laid the scaffold

Thucydides describes Pericles’ use of his rank, ability and morally correct views to lead the Greeks and/or Athenians. It tells the reader of his ability to calm those who were in panic and how he had alerted those who were rude or reacted below expected in a situation, it shows the reader that Pericles was always in control of a problem and that he could lead the people the right way. Thucydides emphasises Pericles’ power by labelling his efforts as the creation (from Pericles’ hands) of government and naming him as the first citizen of Athens, though this information can be seen as biased. This source would be useful to any historian looking for reliable information about Pericles’ social and political impact on Athens and his ability to control the people. Though this source mentions Pericles’ political and social impact on the people, it fails to mention the military, creative or architectural impact he had on Athens. The source is limited in the information it provides, it doesn’t give us direct information or events telling the viewer how he contributed to the ‘becoming of a government’, as Thucydides describes in this

This source touches upon the military result Pericles assisted Athens with and mentions his influence on other powerful men of his time. This source does not contain any bias or opinions, instead, it gathers information from primary sources and informs the reader of Pericles’ influence. This source summarises the military contributions Pericles made to Athens's victories, though it lacks detail on the specific victories that Pericles contributed to. The source also lacks the other contributions Pericles made to Athens, such as the political and architectural changes he made. These limitations restrict the reader from understanding Pericles' significance and the actions he took to make a political, social and creative change in Athens during his