Biography of Pericles

I/ His life

II/ The context

III/ Quote told by him

I. His Life
Pericles was born in 495 B.C. in Athens, Greece. He learned music from Damon and Pythocleides. He
was also pupil of Zeno of Elea which was famous for logical paradoxes. His most important teacher
was Anaxagoras of Clazomenae because he said that the sun was a fiery rock.
At 13, Pericles was evacuated from Athens with his family during the Battle of Salamis. When he was
in his early 20s, he met and married his wife with whom he had two sons, Xanthippus and Paralus. He
then fell in love with Aspasie, they had one son together Pericles the Younger. Pericles gave the
nationality to Pericles the Younger even though it is against his law.
At the age of 30, Pericles entered politics. Under the direction of Ephialtes, new leader of the
democratic party, he attacked the aristocrat Cimon in justice and took part in the fight against the
Areopagus. After the assassination of Ephialtes (461), Pericles, who became in turn the leader of his
party, directed the State as strategist, a position to which he was re-elected at least fifteen times
between 443 and 429 B.C. He continued the democratization of the Athenian political life: the office
of archon (magistrate) was opened to all the citizens and the drawing of lots was extended to many
other magistracies; an allowance was paid to the magistrates, simple citizens and metic (foreigners
residing in Athens) in campaign; the poor received help from the free spectacles. But it does not
compensate the citizens attending the meetings of the ecclesia and institutes the "trials of illegality" to
cancel the decisions of this assembly of the people which go against the existing laws.
Pericles passed away because of the plague that killed one third of the population in Athens in 429
B.C.

II. The Context

When Pericles was born, the Greco-Persian war (490-479 B.C.) was already underway in Greece.
Pericles’ parents were Xanthippus and Agariste. Xanthippus was a wealthy statesman and a general of
an upper-class family. Agariste was the niece of the famous statesman Cleisthenes, the leader of a
powerful clan in Athens, the Alcmaeonidae. Because of his mother linage, Pericles is part of the
Alcmaeonidae clan, he is from a rich noble family. He is also an Athenian since both his parent are
Athenian.

III. Quote By Him

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives

of others” ― Pericles

“Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in

you. ” ― Pericles
Source:

https://www.thoughtco.com/pericles-leader-of-athens-120215

https://www.biography.com/political-figure/pericles

https://www.notablebiographies.com/Pe-Pu/Pericles.html

https://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/personnage/P%C3%A9ricl%C3%A8s/137626

Larousse, Ã. (s. d.-b). Périclès – Média

LAROUSSE. Consulté le 18 septembre
2022