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Pericles Golden Age Of Athenian Leadership

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Pericles was an influential statesman and general remembered for leading Athens during the Golden Age. Athens was a strong city-state of Greece, but would gain more power and significance through Pericles. Pericles was born into an aristocratic family, which helped him develop his political interests and strong leadership (Tschen-Emmons). He then gained more publicity through a scandal with the Athenian statesman Cimon, allowing him to lead the democratic faction (Eddy). He led Athens to its greatest political height, creating the Athenian Empire out of the Delian League. This would be his basis for the other important achievements regarding Athens’ Golden Age of political dominance, cultural development, and interactions with Sparta. Without …show more content…

The Delian League was originally formed in 476 BCE as an offensive and defensive alliance against Persia during the Greco-Persian Wars. The League consisted of Greek states that would pay tribute to Athens in order to maintain the Athenian fleet and protect the city-states (Viscusi). Meanwhile, during this time, Pericles gained more influence over the people as the leader of the democratic faction, after the issues with Cimon regarding Sparta. The situation would lead to Cimon’s ostracization and cause greater rivalries between Athens and Sparta (Eddy). Because of this, Pericles gained control and used the League’s treasury to benefit Athens instead of its original purposes, by introducing measures to enhance the city. Pericles also expanded the League to more areas in the Peloponnesian coast, and his strategy of creating a land empire would help Athens reach its greatest territorial extent. Meetings of the League's assembly soon stopped, and the states in the League would have no voice. Because of this, the areas in the alliance became part of the Athenian Empire under Pericles’ control …show more content…

The Athenian Empire was able to emerge because of the rich culture developed in Athens through Pericles’ leadership. One aspect of his significance was using the League’s treasury for civic improvements in Athens. Pericles promoted Athens by commissioning the building program of the Acropolis, including the Parthenon, Propylaea, and Odeon. These buildings enhanced the city’s beauty, provided employment, and developed Greek architecture ("Pericles"). These structures also symbolized the Greek attitude of aspiring towards excellence, seen in the balance and symmetry of these buildings. Pericles also cared about the well being of the citizens by introducing measures providing pay for Athenians in services, and lowering theater admission prices for the poor (Viscusi). These measures benefitted the lower class, promoted entertainment for all people, and better balanced society. Also during Pericles’ rule, artists, poets, and scholars came to Athens from all parts of the Hellenic world; the city becoming the cultural and philosophical center of Greece, and creating “The Golden Age of Athens” (Eddy). The construction of the Acropolis and the acts regarding the citizens showed Pericles’ love for the city and developed Athens into a great

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