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Kelsey T. Chodorow
January 31, 2010
Arete Draft 1
Pericles
Around the sick bed of Pericles the best men of Athens and his personal friends were talking
about how great he was. They were talking about all of his victories thinking that Pericles was asleep.
Although Pericles was not asleep and listening to all the men of Athens talking about his victories.
He was surprised and very happy to hear them talking about his histories. He looked at them and
said, “No Athenian now alive has put on mourning clothes because of me” (Donald Kagan 249)
These were the last words Pericles said. Pericles was a fantastic statesman. He was so fantastic that
they named the time he lived the Periclean Age or the Golden Age. Pericles had a great life in
Athens. He had a few of the best philosophers of his time educating him. Pericles was a wonderful
leader and changed democracy forever.
Pericles early life was more than I could ever dream of. His early life made him do what he
did. He was born to a “high ranked noble family.” He was the proud son of Xanthippus and
Agariste. “Pericles had a very progressive education as a child. His teachers were the Sophists or
Wise men. The Wise men did not teach Pericles the traditional education which was that the gods
played an active role in human affairs. Instead they taught him to use his knowledge and facts. They
also taught Pericles to speak politically” (Kirby 2). With Pericles different knowledge it made him
different from everyone. Everyone believed in the gods and what the gods say is true. Although
Pericles was taught by the Wise men and used what is fact and fiction. Pericles was also born into
power. “His great uncle, Cleisthenes, was a democratic statesman who made many reforms in the
Athenian government. After Cleisthenes death Areopagus, (a council of prominent citizens) took
back the power”(Kagan 1). People expected good things of Pericles because of this ancestors.
Pericles early life was his politician life. He started as a leaders helper but soon went to a
leader.“Pericles entered a democratic popular party after Cleisthenes died. Ephialtes was the leader
of the party and worked with Pericles to limit the Areopagus power. Unfortunatly the leader of the
aristocractic party, Cimon fought against Pericles. Pericles banished Cimon for liking the Spartans.
When Ephialtes died Pericles became the leader of the party. He was the post powerful person in
the state at that time”(Donald 1). After Cleisthenes died Pericles felt like he had to carry on what hus
uncle did and did not want to fail him. Once Ephialtes died Pericles felt like he had to step up the
game. While Pericles was the leader of the party he made many laws. One of the laws he made was
to let everyone vote. “Unlike the U.S., Athens used direct democracy”(xtbok person 210). All of the
Athenians got to help run the government. It got pretty chaotic. One of the first laws Pericles made
was to help public officials get payed. “Before Pericles made a law, public officials did not receive
money for their work. This meant only wealthy Athenians could afford office. After the law passed
Athenians received payment. Their were 20,000 people on the pay roll.Now the common people
could serve in office” (Littell 210). This law changed a lot of people’s lifes expecially the common
people. People could be paid in work which made their life a lot easier and happier. Another law
Pericles made did not make a lot of people happy. “Before Pericles made another law a individual
citizen had to be a gfree male over 18 and had to be the son of an Athenian father. After the law was
passed a citizen had to have both parents Athenian-born. This meant that the wealthy Athenians
could not be friends with other wealthy city-state families through marriage” (Littell 210).
As the government grew Greece formed a Delian League. “The Delian League is mutural
protection formed by the Greek city-states. It was called the Delian League because it started its
headquarters and treasury were on the island of Delos. Many city-states paid money to help with
ships. Some even provided troops and ships. The naval fleet had at least 300 war ships” (Littell 211).
Having the city-states pay taxes for the ships improved the pace of building the tropops and the
Kelsey T. Chodorow
January 31, 2010
Arete Draft 1
ships. What was even more helpful was when they provided ships and troops. Although, soon
Athens had a “superior navy” and took over the Delian League. “The Delian Leagues treasury was
moved to Athens because people though that the treasury would not be safe. It turned out the move
of the treasury strengthened Athens party. Athens treated members of the league as ‘conquered
people, not allies.’ Athens soon took over all of the Greek city-states” (Littell 211). After the treasury
of the Delian League was moved people felt more safe because they did not have to worry about the
treasury. Although the people of the Delian League did not like how the Athenians treated them as
hostages.
After the Persian War Pericles thought it was a perfect time to beautify Athens. In the
beginning of the beautification the Athenians did not like it. “ Everyone in the Athenian empire paid
tribute. The money was supposed to help build military power. Instead some of it went to beautify
Athens. Pericles did not ask permission to use any of the money for beautifying. This made the citystates very mad. To create sculptures and buildings he got gold, ivory and marble. He also had to use
money to pay artists and architects” (Littell 212). Using the money made the Greeks go crazy but
after the beautifying was done they were very satisfied.
Pericles made some beautiful building but Acropolis was most famous for the temples. The
best temple on Acropolis was Partheneon. “Partheneon was designed by Ictinus and Callicrates. It
was also designed by Phidias. Phidias made the ‘sculpteral decoration’ for Partheneon. The temple
was deticated to Athena, the protecter of the city. Later on the temple became a Christian Church”
(Baxevanis 1). Partheneon was the most magnificient building on Acropolis. Partheneon was
everyones favorite and was the one Pericles was most proud of. The second temple was
Ereechtheum. “Ereechtheum is a temple built with ‘several joining sections.’ It is 60 yards from
Partheneon” (Baxevanis 2 of 4). Ereechtheum was dedicated to Poisidon, Athena and Erechtheus, a
legendary king of Athens. The best part about Ereechtheum was the ‘\south porch where six
colums in the form of ladies standing hold up the roof. The real statues were replaced with cement
staues for ‘protection from air pollution.’
People believed in many ways that lead to the Peloppenisian War. “One is that some
city-states were afraid of Athens because of its grab for power and prestige. Athens had a huge
empire” (Littell 213). People were afraid that because the empire was so big it would all crash. “Also
the money spent to beautify Athens was supposed to be for the protection for all the city states.
Many city states tried to break free because of the money but the city states couldn’t” (Littell 213).
It made the city states so frustrated to hear that their money was goin to a wate and to beautify
Athens. “Sparta sparked the whole war by declaring war. Sparta was called the Peloponnesian
League” (Littell 213). Sparta started the whole war. Many of the city states went with Sparta, but
some city states stayed with Athens.
Athens and Sparta had two very different stratigies. Athens strategy was to stay on
water. “Athens tried toavoid land battles and use ‘sea power.’ Athens had a strong harbor and navy.
Athens used a strip of land near Cornith that connected Peloponneseus to the rest of Greece.
Athens plan was to interfier with Spartas land route”(Littell 214). Athens felt very comftrerable on
water and failed at most battles on land. Spartas stratigie was to use land not water. “Sparta wanted
Athens to fight on land. Sparta destroyed the areas around Athens crops” (Littell 214). Pericles let
Sparta destroy their crops and brang the people from the areas surrounding Athens inside Athens.
The Pelopennesian war went on for a long time. During the war Sparta and Athens made a
treaty. “ The treaty was a peace treaty for 30 years. The treaty did not last long. Sparta treated Athens
so cruel they revolted. Athens attached Sicily to cut Spoattas supplies. The plan worked but soon
Kelsey T. Chodorow
January 31, 2010
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Sparta destroyed most of Athens army. Then Athens fleet was caught. Athens surrendered to Sparta
in 404” (Littell 215).
During the Pelopennisian war Pericles made a speech for the dead. “When Athenian soldiers
were killed in war Pericles gave a noble speech to show his ‘view of democracy.’ In his speech he
said, ‘Everyone is equal before law, what counts in public service is not membership of a particular
class, but the actual ability which the man possesses’” (Littell 209).
After the Pelopennisain war a plague spread through the city. “Pericles fell from popular
favor and was deposed from office” (Krentz 1). People thought that it was Pericles fault that the
plague broke out. One third of Athens population died including Pericles. The day he died his
friends and family were around him. His lasts words were: “No Athenian now alive has put on
mourning clothes because of me.”
Bibliography
Kagan, Donald. "Pericles." World Book Student. World Book, 2012 .Web. 6 Jan. 2012.
Baxevanis, John J. "Athens." World Book Student. World Book, 2012. Web. 7 Jan. 2012.
Hennessey, William J. "Parthenon." World Book Student. World Book, 2012. Web. 7 Jan. 2012.
Krentz, Peter. "Peloponnesian War." World Book Student. World Book, 2012. Web. 7 Jan. 2012.
Krentz, Peter. "Sparta." World Book Student. World Book, 2012. Web. 7 Jan. 2012.
" Pericles ." Compton's by Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2012. Web. 9 Jan. 2012.
" Pericles ." Compton's by Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2012. Web. 9 Jan. 2012.
" democracy ." Compton's by Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2012. Web. 9 Jan. 2012.
" Phidias ." Compton's by Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2012. Web. 9 Jan. 2012.
" Peloponnesian War ." Compton's by Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2012. Web. 9 Jan. 2012.