What is Pericles best known for?

What is Pericles best known for?

Pericles himself was a master orator. His speeches and elegies (as recorded and possibly interpreted by Thucydides) celebrate the greatness of a democratic Athens at its peak. The most famous among them is his “Funeral Oration,” a speech given after the first year of the Peloponnesian War to commemorate the war dead.

What was Athens famous for?

Athens was the largest and most influential of the Greek city-states. It had many fine buildings and was named after Athena, the goddess of wisdom and warfare. The Athenians invented democracy, a new type of government where every citizen could vote on important issues, such as whether or not to declare war.

Why is Pericles significant to Greek history?

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.

How was Athens governed under Pericles?

Pericles ushered in what is considered “radical democracy.” This meant that ordinary Athenian citizens were paid by the state to participate in public affairs. Previously, only the wealthy could afford the time to participate in politics.

Why was slavery important in Athens?

Explanation. For male Athenian citizens, owning slaves was essentially a prerequisite for fully experiencing the freedoms that citizenship offered. Owning slaves allowed citizens to take time away from work to participate directly in the city’s government by attending meetings of the assembly and holding public office.

What were Pericles 3 main goals for Athens?

that this period often is called the Age of Pericles. He had three goals: (1) to strengthen Athenian democracy, (2) to hold and strengthen the empire, and (3) to glorify Athens.

Why was Pericles a great leader?

Pericles is credited for making Athens the cultural, religious, political and economic centre of Greece. He paved the way for the larger empire of Greece and his doctrines pertaining to majority elected governance system are among the earliest seeds of democracy as we know it.

How did Pericles influence government and culture in Athens?

Pericles influenced government and culture in Athens by making Athens a more democratic city-state, by rebuilding Athens, and by making Athens a center of learning and the arts.

Did Athens ever beat Sparta?

When Sparta defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian War, it secured an unrivaled hegemony over southern Greece. Sparta’s supremacy was broken following the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC. It was never able to regain its military superiority and was finally absorbed by the Achaean League in the 2nd century BC.