“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”
About
Pericles was the voice of Athens at its greatest… eloquent, visionary, and fiercely devoted to democracy. Rising to prominence during the fifth century BCE, he guided Athens through its celebrated Golden Age, strengthening democratic government while transforming the city into the cultural center of the Greek world. Under his leadership, the Acropolis was rebuilt and the Parthenon rose above Athens as an enduring symbol of its ambition. Surrounded by philosophers, artists, architects, and playwrights, Pericles championed a society where civic participation and intellectual achievement flourished. His leadership helped define classical Athens and created a political and cultural legacy that still shapes the modern world.
Place of Birth
(Athens, Ancient Greece)
Birthday
495 BCE
Death
429 BCE in Athens, Ancient Greece
Legacy
Pericles was the statesman who came to symbolize the Golden Age of Athens, an extraordinary period of democracy, philosophy, art, architecture, and cultural achievement. He expanded political participation among Athenian citizens, strengthened the power of democratic institutions, and oversaw the construction of monuments including the Parthenon. Although his leadership also contributed to Athens’ growing imperial power and its conflict with Sparta, the civilization that flourished under Pericles became one of the foundations of Western political and intellectual thought.
Influence
Pericles’ influence reaches across more than two thousand years of political history. His vision of participatory government helped make ancient Athens one of history’s most important experiments in democracy, inspiring later thinkers and statesmen who championed civic government and political liberty. His famous Funeral Oration, preserved by Thucydides, became an enduring statement on citizenship, sacrifice, equality before the law, and public service. The Athens of Pericles also helped nurture the philosophy, theater, history, art, and architecture that profoundly influenced Western civilization.
Values & Beliefs
Pericles valued democracy, civic responsibility, reason, and excellence. He believed that citizens should actively participate in public life and that individual achievement could coexist with devotion to the greater community. An advocate of intellectual and artistic achievement, he surrounded himself with leading thinkers and encouraged Athens to become a center of learning and culture. Pericles believed that a great society depended not simply upon wealth or military strength, but upon courageous citizens, strong institutions, public service, and the pursuit of excellence.
Most Famous For:
Leading Athens through its celebrated Golden Age
Strengthening Athenian Democracy and expanding citizen participation
Overseeing the construction of the Parthenon and rebuilding the Acropolis
delivering the Famous funeral Oration celebrating democracy and citizenship
Promoting Philosophy, Theatre, Art, Architecture, and Intellectual Achievement
“Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it.”