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He's the TropeNamer of JustTheFirstCitizen (as Thycidides described him as such), and [[UsefulNotes/AncientGreece three]] [[ProudScholarRace pages]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Athens}} in]] TvTropes are "blessed" to include his quotes. And no, [[Creator/{{Shakespeare}} William Shakespeare]]'s [[Theatre/{{Pericles}} play]] has nothing to do with him.
to:
He's the TropeNamer of JustTheFirstCitizen (as Thycidides described him as such), and [[UsefulNotes/AncientGreece three]] [[ProudScholarRace pages]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Athens}} in]] TvTropes Website/TvTropes are "blessed" to include his quotes. And no, [[Creator/{{Shakespeare}} William Shakespeare]]'s [[Theatre/{{Pericles}} play]] has nothing to do with him.
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The Star of the Athenian Democracy. Born c.495 B.C., Pericles was UsefulNotes/{{Athens}}' most prominent politician and general during the city's GoldenAge (which of course, was named after him)[[note]] Although some argue that the period covers the start of the 5th century and a few years after his death[[/note]].
to:
The Star of the Athenian Democracy. Born c.495 B.C., Pericles was UsefulNotes/{{Athens}}' most prominent politician and general during the city's GoldenAge (which GloryDays(which of course, was named after him)[[note]] Although some argue that the period covers the start of the 5th century and a few years after his death[[/note]].
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[[AC: Music]]
* [[https://youtu.be/s1pOXJyn-Jc?si=8bK5pUXYmPPLR_EB ''"Son Pa Atenas"'']]: The band retells the history of UsefulNotes/{{Athens}} and Pericles is mentioned as TheHero who led the city into its GoldenAge.
* Given that ConceptAlbum ''"Music/TheRiseAndFallOfAthens"'' presents a time-line of the titular city through nine of its most prominent individuals, Pericles is one of said individuals.
* [[https://youtu.be/s1pOXJyn-Jc?si=8bK5pUXYmPPLR_EB ''"Son Pa Atenas"'']]: The band retells the history of UsefulNotes/{{Athens}} and Pericles is mentioned as TheHero who led the city into its GoldenAge.
* Given that ConceptAlbum ''"Music/TheRiseAndFallOfAthens"'' presents a time-line of the titular city through nine of its most prominent individuals, Pericles is one of said individuals.
Added DiffLines:
[[AC: Music]]
* [[https://youtu.be/s1pOXJyn-Jc?si=8bK5pUXYmPPLR_EB ''"Son Pa Atenas"'']]: The band retells the history of UsefulNotes/{{Athens}} and Pericles is mentioned as TheHero who led the city into its GoldenAge.
* Given that ConceptAlbum ''"Music/TheRiseAndFallOfAthens"'' presents a time-line of the titular city through nine of its most prominent individuals, Pericles is one of said individuals.
* [[https://youtu.be/s1pOXJyn-Jc?si=8bK5pUXYmPPLR_EB ''"Son Pa Atenas"'']]: The band retells the history of UsefulNotes/{{Athens}} and Pericles is mentioned as TheHero who led the city into its GoldenAge.
* Given that ConceptAlbum ''"Music/TheRiseAndFallOfAthens"'' presents a time-line of the titular city through nine of its most prominent individuals, Pericles is one of said individuals.
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Changed line(s) 6,7 (click to see context) from:
The Star of the the Athenian Democracy. Born c.495 B.C., Pericles was UsefulNotes/{{Athens}}' most prominent politician and general during the city's GoldenAge (which of course, was named after him)[[note]] Although some argue that the period covers the start of the 5th century and a few years after his death[[/note]].
to:
The Star of the the Athenian Democracy. Born c.495 B.C., Pericles was UsefulNotes/{{Athens}}' most prominent politician and general during the city's GoldenAge (which of course, was named after him)[[note]] Although some argue that the period covers the start of the 5th century and a few years after his death[[/note]].
Changed line(s) 28,29 (click to see context) from:
He's the TropeNamer of JustTheFirstCitizen (as Thycidides described him as such), and [[UsefulNotes/AncientGreece three]] [[ProudScholarRace pages]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Athens}} in]] TvTropes are "blessed" to include his quotes. And no, he has nothing to do with [[Creator/{{Shakespeare}} William Shakespeare]]'s [[Theatre/{{Pericles}} play]].
to:
He's the TropeNamer of JustTheFirstCitizen (as Thycidides described him as such), and [[UsefulNotes/AncientGreece three]] [[ProudScholarRace pages]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Athens}} in]] TvTropes are "blessed" to include his quotes. And no, he has nothing to do with [[Creator/{{Shakespeare}} William Shakespeare]]'s [[Theatre/{{Pericles}} play]].
play]] has nothing to do with him.
Recommended reading: ''Pericles of Athens and the Birth of Democracy'' by Donald Kagan and ''Pericles of Athens'' by Vincent Azoulay.
Recommended reading: ''Pericles of Athens and the Birth of Democracy'' by Donald Kagan and ''Pericles of Athens'' by Vincent Azoulay.
[[AC: Music]]
* [[https://youtu.be/s1pOXJyn-Jc?si=8bK5pUXYmPPLR_EB ''"Son Pa Atenas"'']]: The band retells the history of UsefulNotes/{{Athens}} and Pericles is mentioned as TheHero who led the city into its GoldenAge.
* Given that ConceptAlbum ''"Music/TheRiseAndFallOfAthens"'' presents a time-line of the titular city through nine of its most prominent individuals, Pericles is one of said individuals.
* [[https://youtu.be/s1pOXJyn-Jc?si=8bK5pUXYmPPLR_EB ''"Son Pa Atenas"'']]: The band retells the history of UsefulNotes/{{Athens}} and Pericles is mentioned as TheHero who led the city into its GoldenAge.
* Given that ConceptAlbum ''"Music/TheRiseAndFallOfAthens"'' presents a time-line of the titular city through nine of its most prominent individuals, Pericles is one of said individuals.
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* In Plutarch's ''"Literature/ParallelLives"'' he is paired with Roman General Fabius Maximus.
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It's Oration
, not Oriation.
, not Oriation.Changed line(s) 22,23 (click to see context) from:
Regarding UsefulNotes/ThePeloponnesianWar, it should be mentioned, as it started while Pericles was still alive and he was largely responsible for the whole thing. It's worth mentioning his policy during the first two years of the war, which was pretty defensive (the Athenians basically hid behind the Long Walls and attacked the Peloponnesian shores via their ships) as well as [[KirkSummation "The Funeral Oriation"]] he delivered at the end of the first year, which praises [[CulturalPosturing Athenian values]] and [[PatrioticFervor Athenians' love for freedom and their land]]. It was recorded by the historian Creator/{{Thucydides}}, a huge admirer of him (and the main reason why Pericles has a positive image in this age) and it's unclear which parts where actually said by Pericles and which were created by Thucydides.
to:
Regarding UsefulNotes/ThePeloponnesianWar, it should be mentioned, as it started while Pericles was still alive and he was largely responsible for the whole thing. It's worth mentioning his policy during the first two years of the war, which was pretty defensive (the Athenians basically hid behind the Long Walls and attacked the Peloponnesian shores via their ships) as well as [[KirkSummation "The Funeral Oriation"]] Oration"]] he delivered at the end of the first year, which praises [[CulturalPosturing Athenian values]] and [[PatrioticFervor Athenians' love for freedom and their land]]. It was recorded by the historian Creator/{{Thucydides}}, a huge admirer of him (and the main reason why Pericles has a positive image in this age) and it's unclear which parts where actually said by Pericles and which were created by Thucydides.
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None
Changed line(s) 22,23 (click to see context) from:
Regarding UsefulNotes/ThePeloponnesianWar, it should be mentioned, as it started while Pericles was still alive and he was largely responsible for the whole thing. It's worth mentioning his policy during the first two years of the war, which was pretty defensive (the Athenians basically hid behind the Long Walls and attacked the Peloponnesian shores via their ships) as well as [[KirkSummation "The Funeral Oriation"]] he delivered at the end of the first year, which praises [[CulturalPosturing Athenian values]] and [[PatrioticFervor Athenians' love for freedom and their land]]. It was recorded by the historian Creator/{{Thucydides}}, a huge admirer of him (and the main reason why Pericles has a positive image in this age) and it's unclear which parts where actually said by Pericles and which were created by Thycidides.
to:
Regarding UsefulNotes/ThePeloponnesianWar, it should be mentioned, as it started while Pericles was still alive and he was largely responsible for the whole thing. It's worth mentioning his policy during the first two years of the war, which was pretty defensive (the Athenians basically hid behind the Long Walls and attacked the Peloponnesian shores via their ships) as well as [[KirkSummation "The Funeral Oriation"]] he delivered at the end of the first year, which praises [[CulturalPosturing Athenian values]] and [[PatrioticFervor Athenians' love for freedom and their land]]. It was recorded by the historian Creator/{{Thucydides}}, a huge admirer of him (and the main reason why Pericles has a positive image in this age) and it's unclear which parts where actually said by Pericles and which were created by Thycidides.
Thucydides.
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Changed line(s) 22,23 (click to see context) from:
Regarding UsefulNotes/ThePeloponnesianWar, it should be mentioned, as it started while Pericles was still alive and he was largely responsible for the whole thing. It's worth mentioning his policy during the first two years of the war, which was pretty defensive (the Athenians basically hid behind the Long Walls and attacked the Peloponnesian shores via their ships) as well as [[KirkSummation ''"The Funeral Oriation"'']] he delivered at the end of the first year, which praises [[CulturalPosturing Athenian values]] and [[PatrioticFervor Athenians' love for freedom and their land]]. It was recorded by the historian Creator/{{Thucydides}}, a huge admirer of him (and the main reason why Pericles has a positive image in this age) and it's unclear which parts where actually said by Pericles and which were created by Thycidides.
to:
Regarding UsefulNotes/ThePeloponnesianWar, it should be mentioned, as it started while Pericles was still alive and he was largely responsible for the whole thing. It's worth mentioning his policy during the first two years of the war, which was pretty defensive (the Athenians basically hid behind the Long Walls and attacked the Peloponnesian shores via their ships) as well as [[KirkSummation ''"The "The Funeral Oriation"'']] Oriation"]] he delivered at the end of the first year, which praises [[CulturalPosturing Athenian values]] and [[PatrioticFervor Athenians' love for freedom and their land]]. It was recorded by the historian Creator/{{Thucydides}}, a huge admirer of him (and the main reason why Pericles has a positive image in this age) and it's unclear which parts where actually said by Pericles and which were created by Thycidides.
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For many Greeks, Pericles is what UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln is for many Americans: everybody knows that they were both great leaders, yet very few possess extensive knowledge about the details of their lives. Among scolars however, Pericles is highly divided, with some viewing him as a charismatic ReasonableAuthorityFigure and admire his unquestionable influence, while others accuse him of being a corrupt demagogue, who led Athens to its downfall from his imperialistic mindset.
to:
For many Greeks, Pericles is what UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln is for many Americans: everybody knows that they were both great leaders, yet very few possess extensive knowledge about the details of their lives. Among scolars scholars however, Pericles is they are highly divided, with some viewing him Pericles as a charismatic ReasonableAuthorityFigure and admire his unquestionable influence, while others accuse him of being a corrupt demagogue, who led Athens to its downfall from his imperialistic mindset.
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* In Conn Iggulden's ''Literature/GoldenAge'', he's the main character, as the series details his life.
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* In Conn Iggulden's ''Literature/GoldenAge'', ''Literature/TheGoldenAge'', he's the main character, as the series details his life.
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* ''WebVideo/OverlySarcasticProductions'': in the first episode that Blue appears, he talks about ''"The Athenian Empire"'' and Pericles is frequently mentioned.
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* ''WebVideo/OverlySarcasticProductions'': ''WebAnimation/OverlySarcasticProductions'': in the first episode that Blue appears, he talks about ''"The Athenian Empire"'' and Pericles is frequently mentioned.
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* In Conn Iggulden's ''Golden Age'', he's the main character, as the series details his life.
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* In Conn Iggulden's ''Golden Age'', ''Literature/GoldenAge'', he's the main character, as the series details his life.
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* ''WebVideo/OverlySarcasticProductions'': in the first episode that Blue appears, he talks about ''"The Athenian Empire"'' and Pericles is frequently mentioned.
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* He's a recurring character in ''Orion'', a [[FrancoBelgianComics Franco-Belgian Comic]] written and illustrated by Jacques Martin (most famous for ''ComicBook/{{Alix}}''), where he send the titular protagonist as a spy in Spartan territory.
to:
* He's a recurring character in ''Orion'', the ''Orion'' trilogy, a [[FrancoBelgianComics Franco-Belgian Comic]] written and illustrated by Jacques Martin (most famous for ''ComicBook/{{Alix}}''), where he send the titular protagonist as a spy in Spartan territory.
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* He made a couple of appearances in ''Literature/{{Creation}}'' as well.
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* One episode of the Greek series ''Seven Deadly Mothers-in-law'', ''"The Ancient Mother-in-law"'' narrates his life with his mother, Agariste, as the protagonist.
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* The ''VideoGames/Civilization'' series has Pericles as a recurring leader for Greece. His "Surrounded by Glory" bonus magnifies Greek culture output based on how many city-states it is suzerain of and he focuses on building a new Delian League.
to:
* The ''VideoGames/Civilization'' ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}'' series has Pericles as a recurring leader for Greece. His "Surrounded by Glory" bonus magnifies Greek culture output based on how many city-states it is suzerain of and he focuses on building a new Delian League.
* The ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOdyssey'' has him as a minor character, though his death by the hands of [[spoiler: Deimos]] is fictional.
* The ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOdyssey'' has him as a minor character, though his death by the hands of [[spoiler: Deimos]] is fictional.
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He's the TropeNamer of JustTheFirstCitizen (as Thycidides described him as such), and [[UsefulNotes/AncientGreece three]] [[ProudScholarRace pages]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Athens}} in]] TvTropes are "blessed" to include his quotes.
to:
He's the TropeNamer of JustTheFirstCitizen (as Thycidides described him as such), and [[UsefulNotes/AncientGreece three]] [[ProudScholarRace pages]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Athens}} in]] TvTropes are "blessed" to include his quotes.
quotes. And no, he has nothing to do with [[Creator/{{Shakespeare}} William Shakespeare]]'s [[Theatre/{{Pericles}} play]].
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Added DiffLines:
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/001_6_3.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Squillhead.]]
->''"Just because you don't take an interest in politics, it doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you."''
The Star of the the Athenian Democracy. Born c.495 B.C., Pericles was UsefulNotes/{{Athens}}' most prominent politician and general during the city's GoldenAge (which of course, was named after him)[[note]] Although some argue that the period covers the start of the 5th century and a few years after his death[[/note]].
He came from an aristocratic family: his mother, Agariste, was descendant of the Alcmeonide family, one of the most powerful ones in Ancient Athens, and was also niece of Cleisthenes, whose reforms transformed the city into a democracy. His father, Xanthippus, was a war hero at The Battle of Mycale, one of the most decisive against the [[UsefulNotes/GrecoPersianWars Persians]]. A popular legend about him is that while his mother was pregnant, she dreamed that she gave birth to a lion, which many priests saw it as an omen that she was gonna give birth to a leader.
It's practically difficult to report his moves in the first years of his life, but we do know for sure that he was taught by the philosopher Anaxagoras and made a name for himself during his 20s as a wealthy aristocratic patron of arts, by sponsoring the "Persians", a play written by the tragic playwright Creator/{{Aeschylus}} at the Dionysia Festival in 472 B.C.
He rose into prominence in 461 B.C., when he had his major political [[TheRival rival]], Cimon, ostracised (this means "cast at least 6,000 votes to exile someone for 10 years") from Athens and joined the Democratic party (as opposed to the Oligarchic party) led by the reformer [[TheMentor Ephialtes]] in organizing a vote in the popular assembly that stripped all remaining powers from the Areopagus, the old noble council. Many historians consider that event to have marked the birth of Athenian democracy, as well as being a great political victory for Pericles, for Cimon was greatly [[UniversallyBelovedLeader supported by both the aristocrats and the common people]]. After Ephialtes' assassination in 461 B.C., Pericles emerged as Athens’s foremost politician, and he would lead the popular assembly and the city until his death three decades later, mostly by ostracising his political opponents.
In 451/450 B.C., he elected a controversial rule forbidding the sons of non-Athenians -including sons who had an Athenian father, but a non-Athenian mother- from receiving political rights. This law is debated till this day for its true motives, with the most popular theory being that he wanted to limit the aristocrats' influence by prohibiting them from attaining foreign ties. Of course, this rule would come to bite him in the ass a few years later, when he met and fell in love with [[HighClassCallGirl Aspasia]], an educated courtesan originated from Miletus, a rich city-state in Asia Minor. Though the circumstances of their meeting are unknown, Pericles instantly [[EliteManCourtesanRomance fell in love with her]] and it was said he held her words in great esteem, always listened to her before he made a move and showed huge affection towards her, by kissing her publicly before he headed to the Pnyx, much to the dismay of many Athenians. He divorced his first wife for her and they even had a baby together, named after himself, Pericles the Younger.
In fact, it was believed that so grand was her influence over him, that she convinced him to take the Miletians' part against the Samians in the Samian War, where the Samians lost and were forced to destroy their walls and pay a huge fine.
Speaking of which, now it's a good time to talk about his external policy. In 454 B.C. he removed the treasury from Delos and transferred it to Athens, believing that Delos wasn't a safe place to guard it, essentially turning the Delian League into Athenian Hegemony.
Perhaps, his most ambitious - and most famous - project was the rebuilding of the Acropolis, which generated most of its surviving structures including the Parthenon. That's right, folks! All these marvelous structures that attract million of tourists every year were all commissioned under Pericles' rule. Pericles promoted the arts and literature, and it is principally through his efforts that Athens acquired the reputation of being the educational and cultural center of the ancient Greek world. And also thanks to the money from the Delian treasury, but we don't talk about that... Apart from the Acropolis, Pericles was also responsible for the commission of the Long Walls, which protected the Athenians during the Peloponnesian War.
Regarding UsefulNotes/ThePeloponnesianWar, it should be mentioned, as it started while Pericles was still alive and he was largely responsible for the whole thing. It's worth mentioning his policy during the first two years of the war, which was pretty defensive (the Athenians basically hid behind the Long Walls and attacked the Peloponnesian shores via their ships) as well as [[KirkSummation ''"The Funeral Oriation"'']] he delivered at the end of the first year, which praises [[CulturalPosturing Athenian values]] and [[PatrioticFervor Athenians' love for freedom and their land]]. It was recorded by the historian Creator/{{Thucydides}}, a huge admirer of him (and the main reason why Pericles has a positive image in this age) and it's unclear which parts where actually said by Pericles and which were created by Thycidides.
Unfortunately, a terrible [[ThePlague plague]] struck Athens in the second year of the war and resulted in 1/4 of its population dying. Victims included Pericles himself and some historians believe that his death marked the end of the GoldenAge, as the leaders who came after him proved inferior and couldn't handle properly the situation.
For many Greeks, Pericles is what UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln is for many Americans: everybody knows that they were both great leaders, yet very few possess extensive knowledge about the details of their lives. Among scolars however, Pericles is highly divided, with some viewing him as a charismatic ReasonableAuthorityFigure and admire his unquestionable influence, while others accuse him of being a corrupt demagogue, who led Athens to its downfall from his imperialistic mindset.
He's the TropeNamer of JustTheFirstCitizen (as Thycidides described him as such), and [[UsefulNotes/AncientGreece three]] [[ProudScholarRace pages]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Athens}} in]] TvTropes are "blessed" to include his quotes.
----
!!Works featuring him:
[[AC:Comic Book]]
* He's a recurring character in ''Orion'', a [[FrancoBelgianComics Franco-Belgian Comic]] written and illustrated by Jacques Martin (most famous for ''ComicBook/{{Alix}}''), where he send the titular protagonist as a spy in Spartan territory.
[[AC: Literature]]
* He's a minor character in ''The Athenian Mysteries'' by Gary Corby, where he hires KidHero Nikolaos as a detective to solve the murder of Ephialtes.
* In Conn Iggulden's ''Golden Age'', he's the main character, as the series details his life.
** He was also frequently used in the aforementioned author's previous series, "Athenian", which starred his father, Xanthippus.
* As Karen Essex' ''Stealing Athena'' focuses on the life of Aspasia, Pericles is a major character there.
[[AC:Live Action TV]]
* Though he never appeared at any episode of ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', in ''Recap/StarTrekS3E10PlatosStepchildren'', Philana awards Captain Kirk with Pericles' shield, symbol of great leadership.
[[AC: Video Games]]
* The ''VideoGames/Civilization'' series has Pericles as a recurring leader for Greece. His "Surrounded by Glory" bonus magnifies Greek culture output based on how many city-states it is suzerain of and he focuses on building a new Delian League.
[[AC: Web Video]]
* ''WebVideo/CrashCourse'' briefly mentions him in the ''Theatre/{{Lysistrata}}'' episode.
[[AC: Western Animation]]
* He's the main focus of one of ''WesternAnimation/IlEtaitUneFois''' sixth episode ''Recap/IlEtaitUneFoisManE06TheAgeOfPericles'', which also features other famous Ancient Greeks, like Creator/{{Socrates}}, Creator/{{Sophocles}} etc.
* He was featured as an one-shot character in one of ''WesternAnimation/HerculesTheAnimatedSeries''' episode, ''Hercules and The Assasin''.
----
[[caption-width-right:350:Squillhead.]]
->''"Just because you don't take an interest in politics, it doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you."''
The Star of the the Athenian Democracy. Born c.495 B.C., Pericles was UsefulNotes/{{Athens}}' most prominent politician and general during the city's GoldenAge (which of course, was named after him)[[note]] Although some argue that the period covers the start of the 5th century and a few years after his death[[/note]].
He came from an aristocratic family: his mother, Agariste, was descendant of the Alcmeonide family, one of the most powerful ones in Ancient Athens, and was also niece of Cleisthenes, whose reforms transformed the city into a democracy. His father, Xanthippus, was a war hero at The Battle of Mycale, one of the most decisive against the [[UsefulNotes/GrecoPersianWars Persians]]. A popular legend about him is that while his mother was pregnant, she dreamed that she gave birth to a lion, which many priests saw it as an omen that she was gonna give birth to a leader.
It's practically difficult to report his moves in the first years of his life, but we do know for sure that he was taught by the philosopher Anaxagoras and made a name for himself during his 20s as a wealthy aristocratic patron of arts, by sponsoring the "Persians", a play written by the tragic playwright Creator/{{Aeschylus}} at the Dionysia Festival in 472 B.C.
He rose into prominence in 461 B.C., when he had his major political [[TheRival rival]], Cimon, ostracised (this means "cast at least 6,000 votes to exile someone for 10 years") from Athens and joined the Democratic party (as opposed to the Oligarchic party) led by the reformer [[TheMentor Ephialtes]] in organizing a vote in the popular assembly that stripped all remaining powers from the Areopagus, the old noble council. Many historians consider that event to have marked the birth of Athenian democracy, as well as being a great political victory for Pericles, for Cimon was greatly [[UniversallyBelovedLeader supported by both the aristocrats and the common people]]. After Ephialtes' assassination in 461 B.C., Pericles emerged as Athens’s foremost politician, and he would lead the popular assembly and the city until his death three decades later, mostly by ostracising his political opponents.
In 451/450 B.C., he elected a controversial rule forbidding the sons of non-Athenians -including sons who had an Athenian father, but a non-Athenian mother- from receiving political rights. This law is debated till this day for its true motives, with the most popular theory being that he wanted to limit the aristocrats' influence by prohibiting them from attaining foreign ties. Of course, this rule would come to bite him in the ass a few years later, when he met and fell in love with [[HighClassCallGirl Aspasia]], an educated courtesan originated from Miletus, a rich city-state in Asia Minor. Though the circumstances of their meeting are unknown, Pericles instantly [[EliteManCourtesanRomance fell in love with her]] and it was said he held her words in great esteem, always listened to her before he made a move and showed huge affection towards her, by kissing her publicly before he headed to the Pnyx, much to the dismay of many Athenians. He divorced his first wife for her and they even had a baby together, named after himself, Pericles the Younger.
In fact, it was believed that so grand was her influence over him, that she convinced him to take the Miletians' part against the Samians in the Samian War, where the Samians lost and were forced to destroy their walls and pay a huge fine.
Speaking of which, now it's a good time to talk about his external policy. In 454 B.C. he removed the treasury from Delos and transferred it to Athens, believing that Delos wasn't a safe place to guard it, essentially turning the Delian League into Athenian Hegemony.
Perhaps, his most ambitious - and most famous - project was the rebuilding of the Acropolis, which generated most of its surviving structures including the Parthenon. That's right, folks! All these marvelous structures that attract million of tourists every year were all commissioned under Pericles' rule. Pericles promoted the arts and literature, and it is principally through his efforts that Athens acquired the reputation of being the educational and cultural center of the ancient Greek world. And also thanks to the money from the Delian treasury, but we don't talk about that... Apart from the Acropolis, Pericles was also responsible for the commission of the Long Walls, which protected the Athenians during the Peloponnesian War.
Regarding UsefulNotes/ThePeloponnesianWar, it should be mentioned, as it started while Pericles was still alive and he was largely responsible for the whole thing. It's worth mentioning his policy during the first two years of the war, which was pretty defensive (the Athenians basically hid behind the Long Walls and attacked the Peloponnesian shores via their ships) as well as [[KirkSummation ''"The Funeral Oriation"'']] he delivered at the end of the first year, which praises [[CulturalPosturing Athenian values]] and [[PatrioticFervor Athenians' love for freedom and their land]]. It was recorded by the historian Creator/{{Thucydides}}, a huge admirer of him (and the main reason why Pericles has a positive image in this age) and it's unclear which parts where actually said by Pericles and which were created by Thycidides.
Unfortunately, a terrible [[ThePlague plague]] struck Athens in the second year of the war and resulted in 1/4 of its population dying. Victims included Pericles himself and some historians believe that his death marked the end of the GoldenAge, as the leaders who came after him proved inferior and couldn't handle properly the situation.
For many Greeks, Pericles is what UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln is for many Americans: everybody knows that they were both great leaders, yet very few possess extensive knowledge about the details of their lives. Among scolars however, Pericles is highly divided, with some viewing him as a charismatic ReasonableAuthorityFigure and admire his unquestionable influence, while others accuse him of being a corrupt demagogue, who led Athens to its downfall from his imperialistic mindset.
He's the TropeNamer of JustTheFirstCitizen (as Thycidides described him as such), and [[UsefulNotes/AncientGreece three]] [[ProudScholarRace pages]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Athens}} in]] TvTropes are "blessed" to include his quotes.
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!!Works featuring him:
[[AC:Comic Book]]
* He's a recurring character in ''Orion'', a [[FrancoBelgianComics Franco-Belgian Comic]] written and illustrated by Jacques Martin (most famous for ''ComicBook/{{Alix}}''), where he send the titular protagonist as a spy in Spartan territory.
[[AC: Literature]]
* He's a minor character in ''The Athenian Mysteries'' by Gary Corby, where he hires KidHero Nikolaos as a detective to solve the murder of Ephialtes.
* In Conn Iggulden's ''Golden Age'', he's the main character, as the series details his life.
** He was also frequently used in the aforementioned author's previous series, "Athenian", which starred his father, Xanthippus.
* As Karen Essex' ''Stealing Athena'' focuses on the life of Aspasia, Pericles is a major character there.
[[AC:Live Action TV]]
* Though he never appeared at any episode of ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', in ''Recap/StarTrekS3E10PlatosStepchildren'', Philana awards Captain Kirk with Pericles' shield, symbol of great leadership.
[[AC: Video Games]]
* The ''VideoGames/Civilization'' series has Pericles as a recurring leader for Greece. His "Surrounded by Glory" bonus magnifies Greek culture output based on how many city-states it is suzerain of and he focuses on building a new Delian League.
[[AC: Web Video]]
* ''WebVideo/CrashCourse'' briefly mentions him in the ''Theatre/{{Lysistrata}}'' episode.
[[AC: Western Animation]]
* He's the main focus of one of ''WesternAnimation/IlEtaitUneFois''' sixth episode ''Recap/IlEtaitUneFoisManE06TheAgeOfPericles'', which also features other famous Ancient Greeks, like Creator/{{Socrates}}, Creator/{{Sophocles}} etc.
* He was featured as an one-shot character in one of ''WesternAnimation/HerculesTheAnimatedSeries''' episode, ''Hercules and The Assasin''.
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