Pericles

Pericles

Pericles was his full name, meaning ‘surrounding by glory’. He was born on c. 495 BC in Athens, Greece. His father, Xanthippus was a wealthy Athenian politician and general during the early part of the 5th century BC. His mother was named Agariste, with 3 children, a boy, a girl and Pericles.

Pericles accomplished his three main goals, to strengthen democracy, expand empire and beatify Athens. He was the leader of Athens for thirty-one years.

The work for the Parthenon came under Pericles orders. The Parthenon was built on the Acropolis. The beautiful structure was built from ivory and gold; the renowned sculptor, Phidias, sculpted the Parthenon. As most buildings on the Acropolis, it was dedicated to Athena, the goddess of heroic endeavor.

He died on 429 BC from the plague that broke out around the city, he died in the middle of a war. When the Peloponnesian was erupted in the 431 BC. The Peloponnesian war was the Athenians against the Sparta’s. Pericles was not startled. Planning to defeat thevia navy power, he gathered his people within the city walls. Sparta technically won the Peloponnesian war, Sparta we rude to their allies and their allies turned on them. The allies who turned on Sparta defeated the whole Spartan army a little later but that’s a different story.