Rebeca Cancel September 10 th ,2019

The Age of Pericles

The Age of Pericles refers to part of the Classical Age of Greece, when the
dominant polis referring to the culture and politics was Athens, Greece. Most of
the things associated with Ancient Greece comes from this period. Sometimes the
Classical Age refers to the entire Ancient Greek history, but the Classical Age of
Greece begins with the Persian Wars and either ends with the building of an
empire or the death of the Macedonian leader Alexander the Great. Besides war
the Classical Age in Athens, Greece, produced great literary works, philosophy,
drama, and art. Pericles is the name that defines this artistic period. The Age of
Pericles starts from the middle of the 5th century and ends in his death either at
the start or finish of the Peloponnesian War, 404. While Pericles was not a king or
a ruler in charge of Athens, Pericles was a skilled and respected leader and figure.
Pericles was repeatedly elected to be one of the ten generals. He was the real
founder of ‘Direct Democracy’ in Athens. Direct democracy is best defined as a
system that allows citizens to vote directly for laws and policies. He gave chance
to all the adults of Athens to take part in direct politics. Pericles was strongly
influenced by Aspasia, a female philosopher and courtesan from Miletus, who
lived in Athens, Greece. Because of a recent citizenship law, Pericles couldn't
marry a woman who wasn't born in Athens, so he could only live together with
Aspasia.
Pericles introduced payment for public offices in Athens. Pericles initiated the
building of the Acropolis structures. The Acropolis was the high point of the city,
the original building area before the city of Athens expanded. Pericles' famous
building project was the Parthenon, on the Acropolis. Pericles is credited with
moving the treasury of the Delian League to Athens, Greece, and using its money
to rebuild the Acropolis temples that the Persians had destroyed. This was an
abuse of the treasury funds. The money was supposed to be for the defense of
Athens and its Greek allies. Besides Pericles, Herodotus the father of history and
his successor, Thucydides, and the 3 famous Greek dramatists Aeschylus,
Sophocles, and Euripides lived during this period. There were also well-known
philosophers like Democritus during this period, as well as sophists. Drama and
philosophy flourished. But then the Peloponnesian War broke out in 431. It lasted
for 27 years. Pericles, along with many others, died of a plague during the war.
The plague was especially deadly because people were crowded together within
the walls of Athens, Greece, for strategic reasons connected with the war.