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New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article [61] When the Athenians ordered the two sides to stop fighting and submit the case to arbitration at Athens, the Samians refused. [68] Pericles' enemies also found a false witness against Phidias, named Menon. [9] With Boeotia in hostile hands, Phocis and Locris became untenable and quickly fell under the control of hostile oligarchs. Smith, William (1855). His aristocratic father had led the Athenian assembly and fought at the Battle of Salamis in the Persian Wars. He was still actively engaged in political life when he died of the plague in 429 BCE. [54] The final steps in the shift to empire may have been triggered by Athens' defeat in Egypt, which challenged the city's dominance in the Aegean and led to the revolt of several allies, such as Miletus and Erythrae. [4] His proverbial calmness and self-control are also regarded as products of Anaxagoras' influence. Pericles’ Funeral Oration “Pericles’ Funeral Oration,” in Thucydides (c.460/455-c.399 BCE), Peloponnesian War (Book 2.34-46) Triremes Inquiry Unit “This famous speech was given by the Athenian leader Pericles after the first battles of the Peloponnesian war. The Spartan army was at this time gathered at Corinth, and, citing this as a hostile action, the Athenians refused to admit their emissaries. [115] The two basic principles of the "Periclean Grand Strategy" were the rejection of appeasement (in accordance with which he urged the Athenians not to revoke the Megarian Decree) and the avoidance of overextension.ια[›] According to Kagan, Pericles' vehement insistence that there should be no diversionary expeditions may well have resulted from the bitter memory of the Egyptian campaign, which he had allegedly supported. The official funeral oration for the Athenian soldiers who died at one of the opening battles of the Peloponnesian War by the leader of democratic Athens, Pericles. The ambitious new leader of the conservatives, Thucydides (not to be confused with the historian of the same name), accused Pericles of profligacy, criticizing the way he spent the money for the ongoing building plan. to find out. This promise was prompted by his concern that Archidamus, who was a friend of his, might pass by his estate without ravaging it, either as a gesture of friendship or as a calculated political move aimed to alienate Pericles from his constituents. Primary Source. The very existence of the treaty is hotly disputed, and its particulars and negotiation are equally ambiguous. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia Limited is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. In 447 B.C.E. Plutarch mentions other criticism of Pericles' leadership: "many others say that the people were first led on by him into allotments of public lands, festival-grants, and distributions of fees for public services, thereby falling into bad habits, and becoming luxurious and wanton under the influence of his public measures, instead of frugal and self-sufficing. For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. [57] Around 447 B.C.E. [15], Thucydides, an admirer of Pericles, maintains that Athens was "in name a democracy but, in fact, governed by its first citizen". The period of Greek history in which he lived and reigned is rightly known as the Age of Pericles because his initiatives allowed that era to flourish. (History, II.34-46). Ancient History Encyclopedia. The primary sources give little information about Aspasia. Ostrakon for Periclesby Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA). Athens under Pericles saw the construction of the Acropolis and the glory of the Parthenon, begun in 447 BCE. His greatest personal tragedy was the death of his sister and of both his legitimate sons, Xanthippus and Paralus, all affected by the epidemic, a calamity he never managed to overcome. [70] According to Plutarch, Pericles was so afraid of the oncoming trial that he did not let the Athenians yield to the Lacedaemonians. "[127] It is generally held that those succeeding him lacked his abilities and character.[128]. Pericles turned the Delian League into an Athenian empire and led his countrymen during the first two years of the Peloponnesian War. On each line there is a link to the page where the name can be found. The leader of the democratic party was Ephialtes (5th century BCE) who was Pericles’ mentor. Pericles’ Funeral Oration. [101] Through this comment, the historian illustrates what he perceives as Pericles' charisma to lead, convince and, sometimes, to manipulate. [2][3] ", "For men can endure to hear others praised only so long as they can severally persuade themselves of their own ability to equal the actions recounted: when this point is passed, envy comes in and with it incredulity. The period during which he led Athens, roughly from 461 to 429 B.C.E., is sometimes known as the "Age of Pericles," though the period thus denoted can include times as early as the Greco-Persian Wars, or as late as the next century. The Funeral Oration of Pericles (431 BCE) Our constitution is called a democracy because the power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people. (2018, March 28). Power, or its equivalent wealth, created the desire for more power, more wealth. Anaxagoras in particular became a close friend and influenced him greatly. We have also been recommended for educational use by the following publications: Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. Its administration favours the many instead of the few; this is why it is called a democracy. Pericles. Last modified March 28, 2018. [58], It was from the alliance's treasury that Pericles drew the funds necessary to enable his ambitious building plan, centered on the "Periclean Acropolis," which included the Propylaea, the Parthenon and the golden statue of Athena, sculpted by Pericles’ friend, Phidias. [125] Others, such as Donald W. Knight, conclude that the strategy was too defensive and would not succeed. Pericles, as commander-in-chief, led the Athenian forces in a number of battles but neither side could gain a significant advantage. Fornara Charles W., and Loren J. Samons, II. In "Pericles: A Sourcebook and Reader", Stephen V. Tracy visits the fifth century B.C. Their land had been twice devastated, and they had to contend with the war and the plague at the same time. Just before his death, Pericles' friends were concentrated around his bed, enumerating his virtues during peace and underscoring his nine war trophies. [16][17], In 463 B.C.E. [124] Kagan estimates Pericles' expenditure on his military strategy in the Peloponnesian War to be about 2000 talents annually, and based on this figure concludes that he would only have enough money to keep the war going for three years. [134], Ancient Greek writers call Pericles "Olympian" and vaunt his talents, referring to him "thundering and lightening and exciting Greece" and carrying the weapons of Zeus when orating. Even so, his reforms would lay the groundwork for the development of later democratic political systems. "[82] Consequently, Pericles asked the Spartans to offer a quid pro quo. Written by Joshua J. Pericles now embarked on a policy designed to secure Athens’s cultural and political leadership in Greece. Tracy compiles and translates the scattered, elusive primary sources relating to Pericles. It was something far beneath the surface, deep down in human nature, and the cause of all the wars ever fought. Ancient History Primary Sources Although Pericles has been criticized as a “populist” who appealed to the baser instincts of the people, as well as a war-monger who encouraged both wars with Sparta, he quite obviously was able to create an atmosphere of freedom of thought and expression which resulted in some of the greatest contributions to world culture ever made. [22], In 461 B.C.E., Pericles achieved the political elimination of this formidable opponent using the weapon of ostracism. [115] According to Platias and Koliopoulos, Athens as the strongest party did not have to beat Sparta in military terms and "chose to foil the Spartan plan for victory". Aspasia of Miletus was a scholar and philosopher whose intellectual influence distinguished her in Athenian culture, which treated women as second-class citizens during the 5th century B.C.E. [46] Angelos Vlachos, a Greek Academician, points out that the utilization of the alliance's treasury, initiated and executed by Pericles, is one of the largest embezzlements in human history; this misappropriation financed, however, some of the most marvelous artistic creations of the ancient world.[60]. [121], In politics, Victor L. Ehrenberg argues that a basic element of Pericles' legacy is Athenian imperialism, which denies true democracy and freedom to the people of all but the ruling state. Jan M. Libourel, "The Athenian Disaster in Egypt,", H. T. Wade-Grey, "The Question of Tribute in 449/8, Fornara-Samons, "Pericles' Political Career," in, Nicole Loraux, "Aspasie, l'étrangère, l'intellectuelle," in. Triremes Inquiry Unit “Pericles' Funeral Oration,” in Thucydides (c.460/455-c.399 BCE), Peloponnesian War (Book 2.34-46) Triremes Inquiry Unit “This famous speech was given by the Athenian leader Pericles after… Learn more https://www.ancient.eu/pericles/. [6][7] (Although Plutarch claims that this deformity was the reason that Pericles was always depicted wearing a helmet, this is not the case; the helmet was actually the symbol of his official rank as strategos (general)). This deputation was not allowed to enter Athens, as Pericles had already passed a resolution according to which no Spartan deputation would be welcomed if the Spartans had previously initiated any hostile military actions. Pericles’ family's nobility, prestige, and wealth allowed him to pursue his inclination toward education in any subject he fancied. [30] On the other hand, Donald Kagan asserts that the democratic measures Pericles put into effect provided the basis for an unassailable political strength. In 454 B.C.E. According to George Cawkwell, a praelector in ancient history, with this decree Pericles breached the Thirty Years Peace "but, perhaps, not without the semblance of an excuse". If we look to the laws, they afford equal justice to all in their private differences; if to social standing, advancement in public life falls to reputation for capacity, class considerations not being allowed to interfere with merit; nor again does poverty bar the way, if a man is able to serve the state, he is not hindered by the obscurity of his condition. - Melissa Schwartzberg, Barbarians are expelled from Gallipoli by, Kresilas sculpts the idealised portrait statue of, Pericles Of Athens And The Birth Of Democracy, Thucydides: The War of the Peloponnesians and the Athenians, PLUTARCH: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans. [73][74] The accusations against her were probably nothing more than unproven slanders, but the whole experience was very bitter for Pericles. Even in the face of mounting pressure, Pericles did not give in to the demands for immediate action against the enemy or revise his initial strategy. Grades: 9 th, 10 th, 11 th, 12 th. It includes an excerpt from the primary sources Pericles Funeral Oration and the Melian Debate to investigate the true nature of Athens during its Golden Age. Pericles, though moribund, heard them and interrupted them, pointing out that they forgot to mention his fairest and greatest title to their admiration; "for," said he, "no living Athenian ever put on mourning because of me. Sparta feared that Athens’ growing power was a threat but could not hope to defeat the Athenian navy which had only become larger and more effective since the victory at Salamis in 480 BCE. [126], On the other hand, Platias and Koliopoulos reject these criticisms and state that "the Athenians lost the war only when they dramatically reversed the Periclean grand strategy that explicitly disdained further conquests. [113] Pericles tried also to minimize the advantages of Sparta by rebuilding the walls of Athens. Hostilities were not resumed, however, and the First Peloponnesian War concluded with a treaty which established limits to the reach of both Athens and Sparta. "The Peloponnesian War". In this work, Pericles praises the soldiers who fell in battle, the bravery of their Athenian ancestors, the families who sacrificed loved ones for the city, and encourages survivors to honor the memory of the fallen. In 440 B.C.E. "[21], Thucydides argues that Pericles "was not carried away by the people, but he was the one guiding the people". [114], During the Peloponnesian War, Pericles initiated a defensive "grand strategy" whose aim was the exhaustion of the enemy and the preservation of the status quo. [120], Critics of Pericles' strategy, however, have been just as numerous as its supporters. [135] According to Quintilian, Pericles would always prepare assiduously for his orations and, before going on the rostrum, he would always pray to the gods, so as not to utter any improper word. [69][70] Aspasia was probably a hetaera and ran a brothel,[71][72] although these allegations are disputed by modern scholars. He increased Athens’ power through his use of the Delian League to form the Athenian empire and led his city through the First Peloponnesian War (460-446 BCE) and the first two years of the Second Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE). In exchange for retracting the Megarian Decree, the Athenians demanded from Sparta to abandon their practice of periodic expulsion of foreigners from their territory (xenelasia) and to recognize the autonomy of its allied cities, a request implying that Sparta's hegemony was also ruthless. Through bribery and negotiations, Pericles defused the imminent threat, and the Spartans returned home. When it is a question of settling private disputes, everyone is equal before the law; when it is a question of putting one … The temptation to acquire still more power proved as always irresistible. Pericles came from a rich and high-ranking noble family. eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'newworldencyclopedia_org-medrectangle-4','ezslot_2',162,'0','0'])); Pericles was born around 495 B.C.E., in the deme of Cholargos just north of Athens.α[›] He was the son of the politician Xanthippus, who, although ostracized in 485–4 B.C.E., returned to Athens to command the Athenian contingent in the Greek victory at Mycale just five years later. With other decrees he lowered the property requirement for the archonship in 458–457 B.C.E. This was because he did not have to adapt what he said in order to please his hearers, in an attempt to gain power by improper means, but his standing allowed him even to speak against them and provoke their anger. Pericles led Athens' fleet in Pontus and established friendly relations with the Greek cities of the region. "[112] 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. What we know of Pericles comes from three main sources. This marriage, however, was not a happy one, and at some point near 445 B.C.E., Pericles divorced his wife and offered her to another husband, with the agreement of her male relatives. Very soon the free confederacy was being turned into the Athenian Empire. The great philosophers Protagoras (c. 485 - c. 415 BCE) Zeno of Elea (c. 465 BCE), and Anaxagoras (c. 500 - c. 428 BCE) were all personal friends of Pericles. Pericles was involved in politics already in the early 460’s BCE but precisely when is unknown. Phidias, who had been in charge of all building projects, was first accused of embezzling gold intended for the statue of Athena, and then of impiety, because, when he wrought the battle of the Amazons on the shield of Athena, he carved out a figure that suggested himself as a bald old man, and also inserted a very fine likeness of Pericles fighting with an Amazon. [34] In 451 B.C.E., Cimon is said to have returned from exile to negotiate a five years' truce with Sparta after a proposal of Pericles, an event which indicates a shift in Pericles' political strategy. He was descended, through his mother, from the powerful and historically influential Alcmaeonid family. Paparrigopoulos wrote that these masterpieces are "sufficient to render the name of Greece immortal in our world". [21] This reform signalled the commencement of a new era of "radical democracy". Just before his death, the Athenians allowed a change in the law of 451 B.C.E. [75] Thus, at the start of the Peloponnesian War, Athens found itself in the awkward position of entrusting its future to a leader whose preeminence had just been seriously shaken for the first time in over a decade. α[›] He was the son of the politician Xanthippus, who, although ostracized in 485–484 BC, returned to Athens to command the Athenian contingent in the Greek victory at Mycale just five years later. The painter Polygnotus (5th century BCE) created his famous works which were later immortalized by Pausanias (c. 110 - 180 CE). "The Peloponnesian War". [23], Even after Cimon's ostracism, Pericles continued to espouse and promote a populist social policy. paved the way for Pericles to consolidate his authority.δ[›] Lacking any robust opposition after the expulsion of Cimon, the unchallengeable leader of the democratic party became the unchallengeable ruler of Athens. 17 Jan 2021. Tiberius Gracchus & Gaius Gracchus and Agis & Cleomenes1 • Timoleon and Aemilius Paulus1 • Themistocles and Camillus, 1 Comparison extant [121] Donald Kagan called the Periclean strategy "a form of wishful thinking that failed," and Barry S. Strauss and Josiah Ober have stated that "as strategist he was a failure and deserves a share of the blame for Athens' great defeat. He was certain that democracy had reached its peak and Pericles’ reforms were leading to the stalemate of populism. The earliest is known as the Funeral Oration of Pericles.It was written by the Greek philosopher Thucydides (460-395 B.C.E. History bears out Thucydides’ view in that, with the death of Pericles, Athens fell into an intellectual, cultural, and spiritual darkness which the Athenians would struggle with over the next 30 years, culminating in the execution of Socrates in 399 BCE. "[122][123] Kagan criticizes the Periclean strategy on four counts: first, that by rejecting minor concessions it brought about war; second, that it was unforeseen by the enemy and hence lacked credibility; third, that it was too feeble to exploit any opportunities; and fourth, that it depended on Pericles for its execution and thus was bound to be abandoned after his death. The first source glorifies the city, the second shows their impe. His early years were quiet; the introverted, young Pericles avoided public appearances, preferring to devote his time to his studies. The most famous of these speeches is his Funeral Oration, given at the conclusion of the First Peloponnesian War. Analyzing Primary Sources: The Age of Pericles. Corinth, however, had a fleet and so did another ally, Aegina, which the Spartan coalition made use of. Some contemporary scholars, for example Sarah Ruden, call Pericles a populist, a demagogue and a hawk,[107] while other scholars admire his charismatic leadership. Gomme, A. W. (A. Andrewes and K. J. Dover). Ancient History Encyclopedia. [88] Pericles also gave his compatriots some advice on their present affairs and reassured them that, if the enemy did not plunder his farms, he would offer his property to the city. "[138], Pericles' most visible legacy can be found in the literary and artistic works of his Golden Age, most of which survive to this day. He started an ambitious project that built most of the surviving structures on the Acropolis (including the Parthenon). A common criticism is that Pericles was always a better politician and orator than strategist. [76] Therefore he did not hesitate to send troops to Corcyra to reinforce the Corcyraean fleet, which was fighting against Corinth. [131] The biographer points out, however, that the poet Ion reported that Pericles' speaking style was "a presumptuous and somewhat arrogant manner of address, and that into his haughtiness there entered a good deal of disdain and contempt for others. [133] He also attributes authorship of the Funeral Oration to Aspasia and attacks his contemporaries' veneration of Pericles. [62] When the Samians revolted against Athenian rule, Pericles compelled the rebels to capitulate after a tough siege of eight months, which resulted in substantial discontent among the Athenian sailors. According to the most stringent provision of the decree, even proposing a different use of the money or ships would entail the penalty of death. "Aspasie, l'étrangère, l'intellectuelle". Pericles' wife was Aspasia of Miletus. [56] By 450–449 B.C.E. Early years [edit | edit source]. [67] Just before the eruption of the Peloponnesian War, Pericles and two of his closest associates, Phidias and his companion, Aspasia, faced a series of personal and judicial attacks. Cimon was the leader of the conservative party and an able military commander who had fought at Salamis in 480 BCE when the Greeks defeated the Persians. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. Pericles, following Athenian custom, was first married to one of his closest relatives, with whom he had two sons, Xanthippus and Paralus. [136][137] Sir Richard C. Jebb concludes that "unique as an Athenian statesman, Pericles must have been in two respects unique also as an Athenian orator; first, because he occupied such a position of personal ascendancy as no man before or after him attained; secondly, because his thoughts and his moral force won him such renown for eloquence as no one else ever got from Athenians. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. 2 Four unpaired Lives. the oligarchs of Thebes conspired against the democratic faction. Pericles was born in Athens, in 495 BCE, to an aristocratic family. Pericles crossed over to Euboea with his troops, but was forced to return when the Spartan army invaded Attica. The obvious purpose of these proposals was the instigation of a confrontation between Pericles and the people; this event, indeed, would come about a few years later. [97] The exact identity of the disease is uncertain, and has been the source of much debate.η[›] The city's plight, caused by the epidemic, triggered a new wave of public uproar, and Pericles was forced to defend himself in an emotional final speech, a rendition of which is presented by Thucydides. The Acropolis, though in ruins, still stands and is a symbol of modern Athens. [91] While the Spartan army remained in Attica, Pericles sent a fleet of 100 ships to loot the coasts of the Peloponnese and charged the cavalry to guard the ravaged farms close to the walls of the city. Pericles - son of Xanthippus; Athenian politician, 5th century B.C. Throughout the work, he emphasizes how the city has been able to achieve its greatness through the freedom of thought and expression of the people. This ban strangled the Megarian economy and strained the fragile peace between Athens and Sparta, which was allied with Megara. Agariste was the great-granddaughter of the tyrant o… [42] John Fine, on the other hand, suggests that the first peace between Athens and Persia was concluded in 450–449 B.C.E., as a result of Pericles' strategic calculation that ongoing conflict with Persia was undermining Athens' ability to spread its influence in Greece and the Aegean. [96] In the summer of the same year an epidemic broke out and devastated the Athenians. His mother was the [85] With his last attempt at negotiation thus declined, Archidamus invaded Attica, but found no Athenians there; Pericles, aware that Sparta's strategy would be to invade and ravage Athenian territory, had previously arranged to evacuate the entire population of the region to within the walls of Athens. Their son was also called Pericles. For example, he would often avoid banquets, trying to be frugal. According to Josiah Ober, professor of classics in Princeton University, the strategy of rebuilding the walls radically altered the use of force in Greek international relations. The speech, recorded by Thucydides, highlights how Athenian democracy encourages personal freedom and sets the city apart from the rest as an example to all: Our constitution does not copy the laws of neighboring states; we are rather a pattern to others than imitators ourselves. Knowledge of the life of Pericles derives largely from two sources. Aspasia’s talent as a writer, and close association with Pericles, encouraged his enemies to claim she was the author of his greatest speeches but it seems clear he had a gift for oratory from a young age, long before he met her, as evidenced in speeches such as the one which exiled Cimon. Tracy compiles and translates the scattered, elusive primary sources relating to Pericles. Mark, Joshua J. Constantine Paparrigopoulos, a major modern Greek historian, argues that Pericles sought for the expansion and stabilization of all democratic institutions. Pericles, Prince of Tyre, became a voluntary exile from his dominions, to avert the dreadful calamities which Antiochus, the wicked emperor of Greece, threatened to bring upon his subjects and city of Tyre, in revenge for a discovery which the prince had made of a shocking deed which the emperor had done in secret; as commonly it proves dangerous to pry into the hidden crimes of great ones. ), in which Athens relinquished most of the possessions and interests on the Greek mainland which it had acquired since 460 B.C.E., and both Athens and Sparta agreed not to attempt to win over the other state's allies. [51] After the Spartan threat had been removed, Pericles crossed back to Euboea to crush the revolt there. in, D. Knight, "Thucydides and the War Strategy of Pericles.". He remained in power almost uninterruptedly until his death in 429 B.C.E. The Ancient History Encyclopedia logo is a registered EU trademark. The historian Thucydides admired him profoundly and refused to criticize him. The Athenians demanded their immediate surrender, but, after the Battle of Coronea, Pericles was forced to concede the loss of Boeotia in order to recover the prisoners taken in that battle. During the Peloponnesian War, Pericles' dependence on popular support to govern was obvious. Ephialtes' murder in 461 B.C.E. Soon after the war began, the great leader who had directed the city through the first conflict died in 429 BCE; the plague struck the city and Pericles was among its victims. Although Thucydides mentions the fining of Pericles, he does not mention the accusations against Pericles but instead focuses on Pericles' integrity.ι[›][101] On the other hand, in one of his dialogues, Plato rejects the glorification of Pericles and quotes Socrates as saying: "As far as I know, Pericles made the Athenians slothful, garrulous and avaricious, by starting the system of public fees". License. Our polity does not copy the laws of neighboring states; we are rather a pattern to others than imitators ourselves. [139] The promotion of such an arrogant imperialism is said to have ruined Athens. Pericles was born c. 495 BC, in the deme of Cholargos just north of Athens.α[›] He was the son of the politician Xanthippus, who, although ostracized in 485–484 BC, returned to Athens to command the Athenian contingent in the Greek victory at Mycale just five years later. Nonetheless, the "serious purpose" (namely the bribe) was so obvious to the auditors that they approved the expenditure without official meddling and without even investigating the mystery. Mark, published on 28 March 2018 under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike.

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