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:For the Shakespeare play, see Pericles, Prince of
Tyre.

Image:Pericles1.jpg|thumb|200px|right| Nudle,
British Museum, London

Pericles (ca. 495 BC-429 BC, Greek :
Περικλής)
was an influential and important leader of Athens
during the Athenian Golden Age (specifically,
between the Persian War|Persian and Peloponnesian
War|Peloponnesian wars), from the Alcmaeonidae
family. The period from 461 BC to 379 BC is
sometimes known as "The Age of Pericles". He was
responsible for a great many building projects
which include most of the surviving structures on
the Acropolis, Athens|Acropolis (including the
Parthenon). He also persuaded the city to build
the Long Walls that protected the four-mile route
to Peiraeus, the port for Athens. Of particular
importance, he fostered the power of democracy,
which was a very radical idea.


Pericles started his political career at an early
age. At first, however, he restrained his
ambitions because he was fearful that due to his
social standing, he would be considered to be a
tyrant or even dangerous for Greece. To get around
this problem, he promoted the interests of the
demos -- the most numerous class of middle and low
income citizens -- so as to avoid their suspicion.
 

Pericles was educated by the Sophism|sophist Daman
(philosopher)|Daman (who taught him politics), by
Zeno_of_Elea|Zeno the Eleatic (who taught him
argumentation), and by Anaxagoras (who taught him
nobility of purpose and character). Largely due to
the teachings of Anaxagoras, Pericles was very
careful of the way in which he spoke, and what he
chose to say.  

Kimon was a political rival of Pericles for many
years. Kimon was a wealthy man who gained favor
with the people by spending his own money on
feeding, clothing and caring for those Athenians
who needed assistance. To counter Kimon, Pericles
spent public money in building projects. Pericles
even was eventually able to have Kimon ostracized
and banished from the city for a period of time.
However, before his period of exile was up, Kimon
returned to lead Athenians in a battle against
Sparta. Unfortunately, some friends of Pericles
had Kimon sent away and the battle went badly for
the Athenians. At that point, Pericles was able to
look past his own ambitions, and recalled Kimon so
that Athens might be victorious.  

Pericles then set about strengthening Athens and
improving the infrastructure. However, during his
forty-year predominance, he was cautious and did
not take on opponents without first weighing his
options and measuring his potential losses.
Unfortunately, his infatuation with a woman named
Aspasia would slightly change the way in which he
initiated conflicts. According to Plutarch,
Pericles was persuaded by her to mount an
expedition against one of her enemies.

Pericles is often referred to as the founder of
democracy in Athens. However, recent critical
studies have cast doubt on this and describe the
formation of democracy as a slow process. The
credit for creating the first democracy on earth
goes to social, political and economic
circumstances which a single individual could
influence, but not create.

Pericles began to fall out of favor in Athens
while still being able to maintain power. The
Spartans attacked and he ordered that Athens
should prepare for a siege. Unfortunately, during
the siege, a plague spread through Athens and its
allies, but not to its enemies, killing many,
including Pericles himself and most of his family.
However, after Pericles lost his last Athenian
son, the Athenians allowed a change in the law
that made Pericles' non-Athenian son a citizen and
legitimate heir.

Unfortunately the information we have about
Pericles is highly distorted by centuries of
legends and myth. The biography most people rely
on is written by Plutarch, who lived about 500
years after Pericles. Plutarch was more interested
in studying the character of men than in writing
history. Pericles is also featured in Thucydides'
History of the Peloponnesian War, which includes
accounts of several of Pericles' speeches. 


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