Périclès , in Greek Περικλής / Periklếs (born with Athens v. -495, deceased with Athens in -429), is a Stratège and Athenian statesman , Acamantide tribe and Dème of Cholargue; family member of the Alcméonides, he is the son of Xanthippe and Agaristè.

The influence of this character over his time was so large that one generally calls this period “ the century of Périclès ”.

Biography

Périclès married a woman with whom it had two wire: Xanthippe and Paralos. Thereafter, it éprit of Aspasie - which was not only a Métèque but also a Courtisane - with which it had a son, that it managed to make register like citizen in spite of his own laws.

Resulting from the prestigious family of Alcméonides, which had been illustrated at the sides of Solon and in the fight against the tyrant Pisistrate, nephew of Clisthène the reformer, Périclès like was predestined to make of the policy. Although he was a large aristocrat, he was a partisan of the democracy and appeared on the front of the scene while being to the number of the public procurateurs who attacked Cimon in -463. In -462/-461, it was combined with Éphialtès to reduce the capacities of the Aréopage, and after the murder of Éphialtès and the Ostracisme of Cimon, in -461, he became the most influential man of Athens. Its political decisions were essential themselves on the majority citizens.

It created the action of Graphê Paranomôn (felt sorry for in illegality) which made it possible to prevent that ill will harms the law and undermine the democracy. This action was regulated in front of Héliée, the legal assembly of the city of Athens.

In -451, with its initiative, the citizenship was restricted with those whose father was citizen and the mother girl of Athenian citizen . As from this moment and until its death, it dominated the Athenian political life and was elected Stratège fifteen times of continuation.

Under its direction, Athens adopted a policy imperialist, and the Ligue of Délos, created to maintain Persians out of Greece, was transformed into an Athenian empire.

It seems to have tried to convene an assembly of all the Greek States to consider the rebuilding of the temples destroyed by Persians, as well as a political form of union, but nothing leads because of the hostility of Sparte.

In -437, it founded a colony with Amphipolis and shortly after at the same time it directed a forwarding to establish the Athenian influence in the area of the Black Sea, after having subjected Samos in -439, when the island had revolted and left the Ligue of Délos.

One does not know the exact responsibility for Périclès in the policy which involved Athens in a war against Sparte, Corinthe, Égine and the Béotie, during the period -459/-446, but during the “ peace Thirty years ” which followed, it obtained from Sparte the recognition of the maritime empire of Athens.

He was the instigator of the construction of the Parthenon (started in -447), of the Propylées and other important buildings of this time on the Acropole: following a terribly effective policy of prestige, he did not hesitate to be useful himself in the cases of the league of Délos to finance the monuments.

He was also at the origin of Misthos, allowance paid with the citizen for time that he devotes to the political life (indeed, while going to the Parliament of the People, the citizen lost the one day benefit whole of work).

The politician Thucydide wire of Mélésias (not to be confused with the famous historian Thucydide, wire of Oloros), political heir to Cimon and worse enemy of Périclès, attacked it to have diverted the funds of the Ligue of Délos for this construction schedule. The Ostracisme of Thucydide left the freehands to Périclès.

It is probable that Périclès had a presentiment of well in advance the war with Sparte and it resisted all the requirements of Péloponnésiens. He recommended with his fellow-citizens a firm attitude vis-a-vis the requirements of the Spartans, who according to him sought a pretext to start the conflict. Périclès thus thought that it was not necessary to make concessions with people who really did not wish to negotiate.

When the war burst in -431, Périclès imposed on Athens a policy which was to neutralize the superiority Spartan on ground, but it implied considerable difficulties for the population of the Attique. Nevertheless, its strategy of surrounding and maritime blockade around the Peloponnese (made possible thanks to the undeniable supremacy of the Athenian fleet) was a brilliant success.

As astonishing as that can appear, Archidamos {{Ier}}, king de Sparte known for his moderation and its prudence, were a large friend of Périclès; and in spite of the war between their two cities, Archidamos ordered with its soldiers to save the fields of Périclès during plundering of the Attic by Péloponnésiens in -430. Périclès, although grateful, retorted officially by making gift of its properties in the State, in order to defuse possible jealousies and disputes on behalf of its fellow-citizens.

However, in spite of its will have and its popularity, of the Athenians dissatisfied to have lost their goods at the time of the incursion Spartan in Attic with -430 brought a lawsuit to him: and, forgetting all the services that Périclès had returned to the fatherland, the judges condemned it to a strong fine and the forfeiture of its civic rights ( atimia , dishonor). It withdrew political life then.

A few months after, its judgment was cancelled and the Athenian citizens again called upon him - by re-electing it Stratège - at the time of the crisis caused by the Great Athenian plague (-429). It contracted the disease but succeeds in curing some; nevertheless, it had exhausted it and he died six months after his return to the capacity.

One never represented Périclès without helmet because of the malformation of his cranium.

Speech of Périclès

Only two speeches of Périclès arrived to us via the Histoire of the Peloponnesian War, written by Thucydide, contemporary of Périclès. These two speeches are the councils with the Athenians on the requirements of Péloponnésiens and the Funeral oration of the first Athenian soldiers died during the Peloponnesian War.

These speeches perhaps were slightly modified by the historian, but these modifications should not certainly exceed the stage of the punctuation, because it is known that Thucydide was of a rare objectivity and that he did not write anything without sure source.

Most known is the Funeral oration: one finds in this speech all moderation, all vigilance and especially the perspicacity which characterizes Périclès. It is a vibrating praise of the Démocratie and also a patriotic homage of Athens, " the school of Grèce" . One guesses through work a man impresses dignity which was the true chief of the city (and not a specific speaker like the majority of the politicians of its time): Of name, the city was a democracy: in the facts, it was the government of the first of the citizens (Thucydide, History of the Peloponnesian War).

Cultural role and posterity of Périclès

Périclès, raises Anaxagore in its youth, attracted in Athens a crowd of scientists and artists who allowed the city to pride themselves on the title of cultural capital of Greece. Around Périclès and of Aspasie soon a true intellectual circle was organized whose principal members were:

It is necessary also to keep in mind that Périclès was also the uncle and the tutor of Alcibiade, which will be one of the most famous pupils of Socrate. As for the impact of Périclès on the emergent talents of its time, it is enough to note that one of the only politicians that Thucydide admires without reserve (whereas Thucydide is very difficult to allure) in its Histoire of the Peloponnesian War , it is indeed Périclès: it takes the trouble to retranscribe two whole speeches of the large strategist.

Throughout Antiquity, and until our days, the Athenian strategist is remained a model and a reference for all the admirors of the ancient Greece.

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