Pericles, Golden Age of Athens

Pericles, the Athenian political leader and general was noted for his oratory, political acumen, and integrity. He was instrumental in strengthening and extending the Athenian Empire. He originated a major building programme, of which the jewel was the Parthenon, the temple that dominated the acropolis. When the spectre of war with the Peloponnesians threatened in the 430s, Pericles determined to resist their demands. After the Peloponnesian War broke out, he persuaded the Athenians to abandon the countryside when the Spartans invaded and to rely on their fleet. He was briefly deposed from the generalship when plague shattered Athenian confidence, but was re-elected the following year. He died of plague soon afterwards. In expanding Pericles’ biography, modern historians consider this Athenian statesman as being largely responsible for the full development of Athens, of both the Athenian democracy and the Athenian Empire, making Athens the political and cultural focus of Greece.