Athens Golden Age Research Paper

Athens’ Golden Age

Normally accustomed to being able to wrap solid dates around events, I’m having a hard time finding consensus regarding when Athens’ Golden Age started and ended. My research found some discussions about Athens’ Golden Age, speaking in broader terms, suggesting this was a golden age of Greece itself. It’s clear the Pericles had a profound impact, some call his contributions, “the Age of Pericles.” Evelyn Abbott’s 1891 book, “Pericles and the Golden Age of Athens,” suggests that Pericles and Athens’ Golden Age go hand-in-hand.

Michael Russo suggests that the Golden began in 461 BCE, the first year he says that Pericles was elected an Athenian Strategos (2001). Peter Brand supports this date, suggesting Pericles dominated Athenian politics between 461-429 BCE (n.d.). History.com provides a conflicting view, suggesting the Golden age was between 449-431 BCE, a period of peace after the Persian wars and before the Peloponnesian War (2009). And so, I am left wondering if within the Age of Pericles, falls the Golden Age of Athens.

End of the Golden Age

Championed by Pericles, Athens’ Golden Age was fostered by the freedoms its democratic government offered and funded by Delian League coffers. Art, theater, literature, philosophy, science and architecture (some still standing) all flourished (Russo,

2001). Regardless of when the period actually began, I agree with the History.com assumption that the peace during this time between the Persians and the Spartans certainly helped. Give or take a few years, once the Peloponnesian war was in full swing and Pericles, along with his sons had died in during a plague while Athens was under siege in 429 BCE, that the Golden Age had come to close (2009).
I see Athens’ mismanagement of the Delian League (the never ending land conquest to acquire new members and the siphoning off the League’s funds for its own benefit) as the root cause leading to Athens’ downfall and thus to the end of the Golden Age. In a sense, they were their own worst enemy.
Had they stopped their imperial democracy expansion, the Spartans might not have started the Peloponnesian war. However, like a Catch-22, Athens’ whole design was for the Delian League to be offensive in nature. Not expanding (conquering) new people to join the League meant less tribute (revenue). Less tribute meant less money for Athens’ culture endeavors. I suggest that had Sparta not reached a boiling point and gone to war with Athens, that there would have eventually been a revolt within the Delian League itself, with some members succeeding in breaking away, perhaps forming their own regional alliance or joining with Sparta, rather than to continue funding Athens’ agenda.

Reflections
I hope you do think I digressed from answering the question by opening with my quandary regarding historic dates!

As I view the Learning Journal forum, it’s an opportunity for the student to answer the assignment question and share some of the learning that went along with it. My take away this week is learning to be highly critical of reference sources pertaining to events that took place thousands of years ago. I feel that I’m still trying to find my “voice” when discussing ancient events. It’s not as cut and dry compared to researching and writing about current events! It seems, lurking behind every corner there’s an opportunity to put my foot in my

mouth
It’s also been a new experience, learning about historical events that have dates counting down instead of up. For example, I find myself looking at the end of Athenian democracy (338 BCE), then at the end of the Golden Age (431 BCE) and have to keep reminding myself that the Golden Age ended first. I’m guessing as a PhD in Aegean - Egyptian interconnections, you probably don’t think twice about working with BCE years!
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