Pericles of Athens (First Citizen of Athens)

Περικλῆς (Surrounded by Glory) (Known as "Pericles")

Statesman, General (Strategos) of Athens, Patron of the Parthenon & Democracy

Born c. 495 BCE

Cholargos (Athens), Greece

Passed Away September 429 BCE Athens, Greece

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Notice / Correction

"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others. Future ages will wonder at us, even as the present age wonders at us now."

Archival Overview

Democratic leader and general who presided over the Golden Age of Athens. Transformed the Delian League into an empire, championed direct democracy, and commissioned the Parthenon on the Acropolis.

Biographical Record

Son of Xanthippus and Agariste of the noble Alcmaeonid clan, Pericles expanded democratic participation by introducing state payment for jurymen and councilors, allowing citizens of all economic strata to serve the republic. He fostered an unparalleled intellectual circle including Anaxagoras, Phidias, and Aspasia.

His immortal Funeral Oration recorded by Thucydides defined Athens as the "school of Hellas." Guiding Athens through the initial years of the Peloponnesian War, he succumbed to the catastrophic plague of Athens in 429 BCE.

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Rest in Peace Forever remembered and cherished Your legacy lives on in all of us With deep gratitude for your life and light

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Kerameikos Demosion Sema (State Cemetery of Athens)
Athens, Greece

                         GPS: 37.9783, 23.7183                    

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