Periclean Athens

Pericles, c. 495-428

Son of Xanthippus, Athenian general in 479.

Mother was niece of Alcmaeonid Cleisthenes.

Financial backer of Aeschylus’ Persians in 472.

Pericles the Radical Democrat

Political ally of radical Ephialtes, and opponent of conservative Cimon.

Crisis of late 460s: – ostracism of pro-Spartan Cimon in 462; – constitutional reform taking powers from

Areopagus in 461; – murder of Ephialtes in c. 460.

Opposition of Thucydides son of Melesias. Ostracism of Thucydides in c. 443.

The Domination of Pericles

‘In what was nominally a democracy, power was really in the hands of the first citizen’ (Thucydides the historian, 2.65).

Pericles was elected general every year from 443/2 to 429/8.

Likened to Olympian Zeus by Aristophanes and other comic playwrights.

Criticism of association with Aspasia of Miletus.

The Funeral Speech

Speech delivered by Pericles in honour of the war dead of the first year of the Peloponnesian War.

Known only from Thucydides’ version. Concentrates on praising Athens’ democratic way

of life. Implied criticism of Sparta. How far does the Funeral Speech present a true

picture of Athenian society?

Pericles’ Building Programme on the Acropolis

‘Oath of Plataea’ and Peace of Callias in 449. Pheidias, sculptor and designer of Acropolis

building programme. Parthenon (temple of Athena): 447-432 Erechtheion (421-414, 409-406) Propylaia (437-432, unfinished) Temple of Athena Nike (420s) Pheidias’ statue of Athena Promachos (c. 454)

The Acropolis

Model of Acropolis

Temple of Athena (Parthenon)

Interior of the Parthenon

Recreation of Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee

Sculptural Programme of Parthenon

Metopes: Fighting of gods vs giants (E); Greeks vs Amazons (W); Greeks vs Trojans (N); human Lapiths vs Centaurs (S).

Pediments: Rivalry of Athena and Poseidon (W); birth of Athena (E).

Frieze around exterior of interior room = idealised Panathenaic procession.

Lord Elgin and the return of the Elgin Marbles.

Parthenon: metopes and pediment

Computer-generated reconstruction of painted pediment (Iowa State Univ.)

Recreation of metopes in ROM

Parthenon frieze: riders

Parthenon frieze: gods and folding of the peplos

Model of Pheidias’ 40-foot gold and ivory statue of Athena

The Erechtheion

The Propylaea and the temple of Athena Nike

Periclean Building Programme (2)

Temple of Hephaistos overlooking Agora. Odeion (concert hall) Various public buildings in the Agora. Various deme temples, as of Poseidon at Sounion

on southern tip of Attica. Initiates’ Hall (Telesterion) at Eleusis. (Also earlier Long Walls)

The Temple of Hephaestus (left) and view of the agora

Plan of the Agora

Hall of the Initiates, Eleusis

Temple of Poseidon, Sounion

The ‘Long Walls’