Lived:495-429 BC
The great-
nephew of
Cleisthenes (the founder of
Athenian democracy), Pericles led
Athens to the height of its
political power,
wealth, and
artistic achievement. He dominated Athenian politics from 460 BC until his death in 429. His policy was that of extending Athenian
control over
Greece to to the north and their political power in the
Delian League, while supporting more
democratic reforms in Athens. He saw Athens through the
Persian wars, which ended in 448 BC. The 15 years of peace following the wars with
Persia are considered to be the
Golden Age of Athenian culture, during which time such monuments as the
Parthenon and The Temple of
Athena Nike were built. Athens became the most populous
city-state in
Greece, but this power and wealth drew competition from
Sparta in the
Peloponnesian War, which began in 431 BC. When the
Spartans be
sieged Athens, the harsh
conditions inside caused the spread of a
plague which killed 1/3 of the
population, including Pericles himself in 429 BC. Though Sparta won the war, a
popular uprising ultimately
liberated the city of Athens and restored the democracy.