Pericles Contributions

544 Words2 Pages

Erin Bowser
12/4/15
LW 7/8
Pericles: An Important Figure in Ancient Greece Pericles, whose name means “surrounded by glory”, was a statesmen of Athens, Greece during the Golden Age between 495 – 429 BC. He rose to become one of the greatest leaders of Athens as a statesman, orator, and a general. The period during which he led Athens, from 461 to 429 BC, is sometimes known as the "Age of Pericles" because of his contributions to the arts, architecture, and to Athens as a military power. Pericles was so influential that the historian Thucydides called him "the first citizen of Athens".

Growing up, Pericles lived in a noble, prestigious, and wealthy household. His mother, Agariste, was a member of the influential Alcmaeonid family, which included Megacles, Cleisthenes, and Hippocrates.This allowed him to pursue his education full-time. His teachers influenced him greatly and were a large part of his successes later
He believed that Athens’ strength lay in its navy and that many of their enemies were too difficult to defeat on land. During the Peloponnesian War, he led Athens’ forces for the first two years until his death in 429 B.C. Pericles’ strategy was to tire the enemy and not over-extend his forces. This strategy, perceived as inglorious by the people, was unpopular. But Pericles convinced them to follow it. This fact is a good example of how great a statesman and military leader he was.

Many of the literary, artistic and architectural works of Greece’s Golden Age still exist today and are part of Pericles' legacy. The Acropolis, though in ruins, still stands and is a symbol of modern Athens. The form of democracy championed by Pericles was built upon by the Romans and serves as the basis of modern democracy. But what made him a great man in his time were his skills and instincts as a leader in military, political, and cultural

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