Why did pericles glorify athens

Pericles is perhaps best remembered for a building program centred on the Acropolis which included the Parthenon and for a funeral oration he gave early in the Peloponnesian War, as recorded by Thucydides. In the speech he honoured the fallen and held up Athenian democracy as an example to the rest of Greece. Pericles also used money from the Delian League to beautify Athens.

He bought gold, ivory, and marble and paid many artists, architects and workers to build beautiful buildings and sculptures. The citizens of Athens stayed within an overcrowded walled city. A plague broke out, and because the people were walled in and so close together, his plan failed. How did Pericles change the practice of government in Athens?

He paid citizens for service to the polis and for civic duties. Why did the use of the phalanx affect politics? It allowed more men to help defend Athens and thereby gain power. Your email address will not be published. That development transformed the character of Athenian democracy and society; lower-class Athenians called thetes could now participate as fully as citizens with property.

The Delian League effectively became an Athenian empire. Around B. Work began in B. More than 20, tons of marble were used, producing the iconic Parthenon and the imposing colonnade of the Propylaea, the entrance gateway.

But the peace of Athens was not to last. Unfortunately, the year-long Peloponnesian War resulted in great losses for Athens. When a plague broke out, an estimated 20, people died—including Pericles and his two legitimate sons. Athens was one of the most important and powerful cities in the ancient world. The bustling main thoroughfare was the Panathenaic Way. For the annual summer birthday celebration of Athena the Greek goddess of wisdom for whom the city is named , a procession started at the Dipylon Gate—the largest of 15 gates in the city—and marched more than a mile to the Altar of Athena on the Acropolis.

Men gathered frequently at three public gymnasia to prepare for the naked athletic competitions in the Panathenaic Stadium. But the heart of daily life was the agora, or marketplace, a sprawling complex of more than , square feet that featured trade in everyday items but also sported brothels, bars, and bathhouses.

Bequeathed, too, was his innovative approach of conducting an orderly, thorough examination of the past to explain the causes—and outcomes—of past events. All rights reserved. Culture Reference. Who was Pericles? Pericles left and Pheidias consult about creation of statue of Athena in this painting. Athens: power and glory. Herodotus, the historian. Share Tweet Email. Pericles quickly seized the helm, organizing democratic institutions throughout the city and in becoming the ruler of Athens—a title he would hold until his death.

Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home Essay What did Pericles say? Ben Davis May 2, What did Pericles say? Why was Pericles a good leader? What killed Pericles? What leadership qualities did Pericles possess? How did Pericles glorify Athens? What steps did Pericles take to strengthen Athenian democracy? What do the themes of Greek comedies? What is the philosophic legacy of Aristotle?

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