Pericles…was he the man, kind of, or not at all?
1
In studying ancient Greece, there is one name that anybody who pursues the topic
must know by heart. That name is Pericles.
2
Pericles was born around 495 B.C. He came from a very prominent family. In more ways than
one, his impeccable lineage gave him many advantages over other Athenians. For one, he could
afford an excellent education. For another, he had enough connections to give him an early boost in
his political career. But in the end, heredity could only go so far. What made Pericles so important
was his work, his achievements. It was not his ancestry.
3
Pericles rose to power and became the leader of a democratic movement around 461 B.C. At
the time, his faction often locked horns with the conservative party, championed by Cimon (also
spelled as Simon). Eager to get rid of the man, Pericles accused Cimon of being a sympathizer to
Sparta (Athens' main rival) and managed to get him ostracized for ten years. With Cimon gone,
Pericles could finally pursue the policies he had in mind. One of his earliest edicts was to let the
government pick up the tab so the poor could come and watch theatrical plays free of charge. In
addition, he also pushed through legislation which allowed the government to pay its citizens for
their time spent on public services (such as being a juror). Needless to say, these two measures, plus
many more, made Pericles hugely popular among the Athenians. Throughout his time in office, he
put his democratic ideals to the test. Thanks to him, the Assembly (represented by all male citizens)
grew increasingly powerful. For the first time since the concept of democracy was introduced by
Solon more than a century before, the term finally had true substance behind it. Of course, in
today's viewpoint, Pericles' society was a far cry from a real democratic one because only male
citizens could take part in politics. Women, foreigners, and slaves were not allowed to join the
Assembly and cast their votes. Furthermore, in one of his various directives, he made the
requirement of citizenship more stringent. Before the change, anyone born of a single Athenian
parent would automatically become an Athenian citizen. The new law passed in 451 B.C., however,
demanded that only children with two Athenian parents could become Athenian citizens. The move
was quite controversial at the time. Ironically, it was eventually overturned shortly before Pericles
passed away in 429 B.C. so his half-Athenian son could become his legitimate heir.
4
Apart from bringing democracy into full swing, Pericles also wanted to rebuild Athens'
acropolis. The acropolis, which literally means "city at the top" in Greek, was a centerpiece in the
layout of every Greek city. It always stood atop a hill or on elevated ground, serving the dual
purposes of defense and religious worship. In the case of the acropolis at Athens, it was completely
destroyed during the Persian War (or the Greco-Persian War, circa 492 B.C. - 449 B.C.). After the
conflict was over, Pericles decided to give Athens a brand new look. The entire project took more
than a decade to complete. When it was finally unveiled, it took everybody's breath away. The
whole complex, guarded by an imposing entrance (Propylaea), featured many grandiose structures.
The crown jewel of it all was, of course, the world-renowned Parthenon. It was a temple dedicated
to Athena, the city's patron deity.
5
Radical political reforms. A successful city makeover. Those were the high points of Pericles'
career. At the surface, nothing seemed to be amiss. But beneath it, troubles, especially those
concerning Sparta, were brewing. In the end, it was indeed Sparta that was Athens' undoing.
6
Sparta and Athens had always been in a competition of some sort. As both sought to become
the regional powerhouse, a conflict between the two was bound to happen. In 433 B.C., Athens and
another city-state, Corinth, were at war. About a year later, heeding Pericles' urgings, the Assembly
passed through a resolution known as the Megarian Decree. The law, which was really meant to
punish Megara for aiding Corinth but used some other pretenses instead, barred Megarian
merchants from doing any business in Athens or at ports controlled by Athens. This ban, similar to
our modern-day trade embargo, completely disrupted the Megarian economy. It also strained the
already fragile relationship between Athens and Sparta because the latter was an ally of Megara.
7
At first, Sparta tried to resolve the issue through diplomatic means. It sent envoys to Athens
threatening to go to war and demanding the Megarian Decree be retracted and Pericles expelled.
But upon seeing that all of its requests had fallen on deaf ears, Sparta decided to turn words into
actions and launched a military strike in 431 B.C., setting off the Peloponnesian War. Right from
the beginning, the Athenians and the Spartans adopted two very different strategies. The Athenians
knew that their navy was their strength, so they sent out fleets to attack the allies of Sparta. The
Spartans, however, had more soldiers and wanted to fight on land. Because neither camp engaged in
an open, face-to-face confrontation, it was rather difficult to tell which side was winning. The
following year, an epidemic broke out in Athens. The spread of the disease, plus the loss of land
and personal properties during Spartans' lootings, upset a lot of Athenians. Their frustration and
anger forced Pericles to step down from his post of the general or strategos for a very brief period
of time. Shortly after he was re-elected in 429 B.C., he succumbed to the epidemic and passed
away.
8
Known for his integrity and eloquence of speech, Pericles was an influential figure dominating
the political landscape of ancient Greece for more than 30 years. As a strategos, he transformed
Athens from a mere city-state to a budding empire. Under his leadership, art and literature
flourished. Historians often refer to this era as the Age of Pericles or Athens' Golden Age. But in
the last two years of Pericles' reign, troubles began to boil and soon got out of hand. By the time
that this prominent statesman died in 429 B.C., Athens was already in turmoil. Nearly a quarter of a
century later, it surrendered to its archenemy, Sparta. Never again could it rise up and reclaim the
glory it had once enjoyed.
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President Bill Clinton lived during one of America's best economic periods. He also made
many mistakes during that time, both as president and personally. However, because times
were good, he's looked at favorably. Do you think Pericles deserves most of the credit for
Greece's Golden Age, or do you believe that he is more like Pres. Clinton? Whichever you
choose, please explain in detail.
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