THE AGE OF PERICLES

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THE AGE OF PERICLES
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THE AGE OF PERICLES
DELIAN LEAGUE ATHENS organized it to continue
the struggle against Persia It was an ALLIANCE,
a formal agreement between 2 or more nations or
powers to cooperate and come to one anothers
defense, with other Greek city-states Athens
used it to create an Athenian Empire When
members of the league wanted to withdraw, Athens
used force to make them stay
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THE AGE OF PERICLES
460 -429 BCE Under the leadership of
Pericles Athens Golden Age Economy
thrived Government became more democratic
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THE AGE OF PERICLES
POLITICAL LIFE Athens was a DIRECT DEMOCRACY,
where a large number citizens take direct part
in day-to- day government Athenian assembly met
several times a month At least 6,000 members had
to be present in order to decide important
issues Pericles believed that all male citizens,
regardless of wealth or social class, should
take part in government
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THE AGE OF PERICLES
POLITICAL LIFE Athens began to pay a STIPEND, or
fixed salary, to men who held public office
which allowed poor men to serve in
government Athenians could also serve on a JURY,
a panel of citizens who have the authority to
make the final judgment in a trial An Athenian
jury could include hundreds or thousands Male
citizens over 30 were chosen by lot and served
for a year receiving a stipend
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THE AGE OF PERICLES
POLITICAL LIFE Athenian citizens could also vote
for OSTRACISM, to banish or send away, of a
public figure whom they saw as a threat to their
democracy An ostracized individual would have
to live outside the city-state for period of 10
years
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THE AGE OF PERICLES
THE FUNERAL ORATION Pericles gave a speech at
the funeral of Athenians who were slain in
battle He praised the Athenian form of
government He stressed not only the rights but
also the duties of citizenship He stated, We
alone regard a man who takes no interest in
public affairs, not as a harmless but as a
useless character. It is one of the great
expressions of democratic ideals
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THE AGE OF PERICLES
ECONOMIC LIFE Athens prospered Pericles used
this wealth to rebuild the Acropolis Building
projects increased Athens prosperity because it
provided jobs Restoration of the temples
reminded the citizens and visitors that the gods
favored Athens
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THE AGE OF PERICLES
CULTURAL LIFE Pericles, with the help of the
educated, foreign- born woman, Aspasia, he turned
Athens into the cultural center of
Greece Surrounded themselves with thinkers,
writers and artists Supported the arts through
building programs and festivals
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THE AGE OF PERICLES
PELOPONNESIAN WAR Greeks outside of Athens
resented Athenian power Sparta and other
city-states created the PELOPONNESIAN LEAGUE to
counter the Delian League Sparta supported an
oligarchies, while Athens supported
democracy The war began in 431 BCE and lasted 27
years
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DELIAN LEAGUE AND THE PELOPONNESIAN LEAGUE
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THE AGE OF PERICLES
PELOPONNESIAN WAR Athens suffered from a
geographic disadvantage Athens could not use its
navy against the landlocked Sparta Sparta only
had to march a short distance north to attack
Athens When Sparta invaded, Pericles allowed the
people from surrounding areas inside Athens
walls A plague killed 1/3 of the people inside
Athens including Pericles
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THE AGE OF PERICLES
PELOPONNESIAN WAR Pericles successors were not
able leaders undermining democracy The war
dragged on Both sides committed savage
acts Sparta allied itself with Persia and used
its navy to capture Athens Sparta stripped
Athens of its empire and navy, but refused to
destroy the city
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THE AGE OF PERICLES
PELOPONNESIAN WAR RESULTS It ended Athenian
dominance of Greece Athenian economy would
recover Athens would again become the cultural
center of Greece Corruption and selfish
interests replace the ideals of service to the
city-state Fighting continued between Greek
city-states leading to invasion by Macedonia in
359 BCE