Today in class we read about greeks golden age in the text book which said. SETTING THE STAGE For close to 50 years (from 477 to 431 B.C.), Athens
experienced a growth in intellectual and artistic learning. This period is often
called the Golden Age of Athens. During this golden age, drama, sculpture,
poetry, philosophy, architecture, and science all reached new heights. The artistic
and literary legacies of the time continue to inspire and instruct people around
the world.
Pericles’ Plan for Athens
A wise and able statesman named Pericles led Athens during much of its golden
age. Honest and fair, Pericles held onto popular support for 32 years. He was a
skillful politician, an inspiring speaker, and a respected general. He so dominated
the life of Athens from 461 to 429 B.C. that this period often is called the Age of
Pericles. He had three goals: (1) to strengthen Athenian democracy, (2) to hold
and strengthen the empire, and (3) to glorify Athens.
Stronger Democracy To strengthen democracy, Pericles increased the number
of public officials who were paid salaries. Earlier in Athens, most positions in
public office were unpaid. Thus, only wealthier Athenian citizens could afford to hold public office. Now even the poorest citizen could serve if elected or
chosen by lot. Consequently, Athens had more citizens engaged in self-government
than any other city-state in Greece. This reform made Athens one of the most
democratic governments in history.
The introduction of direct democracy, a form of government in which citizens
rule directly and not through representatives, was an important legacy of Periclean
Athens. Few other city-states practiced this style of government. In Athens, male
citizens who served in the assembly established all the important government policies
that affected the polis. In a speech honoring the Athenian war dead, Pericles
expressed his great pride in Athenian democracy:Athenian Empire After the defeat of the Persians, Athens
helped organize the Delian League. In time, Athens took
over leadership of the league and dominated all the citystates
in it. Pericles used the money from the league’s treasury
to make the Athenian navy the strongest in the
Mediterranean. A strong navy was important because it
helped Athens strengthen the safety of its empire.
Prosperity depended on gaining access to the surrounding
waterways. Athens needed overseas trade to obtain supplies
of grain and other raw materials.
Athenian military might allowed Pericles to treat other
members of the Delian League as part of the empire. Some
cities in the Peloponnesus, however, resisted Athens and
formed their own alliances. As you will read later in this
section, Sparta in particular was at odds with Athens.
Glorifying Athens Pericles also used money from the
Delian League to beautify Athens. Without the league’s
approval, he persuaded the Athenian assembly to vote huge
sums of the league’s money to buy gold, ivory, and marble.
Still more money went to pay the artists, architects, and
workers who used these materials.
Glorious Art and Architecture
Pericles’ goal was to have the greatest Greek artists and
architects create magnificent sculptures and buildings to
glorify Athens. At the center of his plan was one of
architecture’s noblest works—the Parthenon.
Architecture and Sculpture The Parthenon, a masterpiece
of architectural design and craftsmanship, was not unique in
style. Rather, Greek architects constructed the 23,000-
square-foot building in the traditional style that had been
used to create Greek temples for 200 years. This temple,built to honor Athena, the goddess of wisdom and the protector of Athens, contained
examples of Greek art that set standards for future generations of artists
around the world. Pericles entrusted much of the work on the Parthenon to the
sculptor Phidias (FIDH•ee•uhs). Within the temple, Phidias crafted a giant statue
of Athena that not only contained such precious materials as gold and ivory, but
also stood over 30 feet tall.
Phidias and other sculptors during this golden age aimed to create figures that
were graceful, strong, and perfectly formed. Their faces showed neither joy nor
anger, only serenity. Greek sculptors also tried to capture the grace of the idealized
human body in motion. They wanted to portray ideal beauty, not realism. Their values
of harmony, order, balance, and proportion became the standard of what is
called classical art
experienced a growth in intellectual and artistic learning. This period is often
called the Golden Age of Athens. During this golden age, drama, sculpture,
poetry, philosophy, architecture, and science all reached new heights. The artistic
and literary legacies of the time continue to inspire and instruct people around
the world.
Pericles’ Plan for Athens
A wise and able statesman named Pericles led Athens during much of its golden
age. Honest and fair, Pericles held onto popular support for 32 years. He was a
skillful politician, an inspiring speaker, and a respected general. He so dominated
the life of Athens from 461 to 429 B.C. that this period often is called the Age of
Pericles. He had three goals: (1) to strengthen Athenian democracy, (2) to hold
and strengthen the empire, and (3) to glorify Athens.
Stronger Democracy To strengthen democracy, Pericles increased the number
of public officials who were paid salaries. Earlier in Athens, most positions in
public office were unpaid. Thus, only wealthier Athenian citizens could afford to hold public office. Now even the poorest citizen could serve if elected or
chosen by lot. Consequently, Athens had more citizens engaged in self-government
than any other city-state in Greece. This reform made Athens one of the most
democratic governments in history.
The introduction of direct democracy, a form of government in which citizens
rule directly and not through representatives, was an important legacy of Periclean
Athens. Few other city-states practiced this style of government. In Athens, male
citizens who served in the assembly established all the important government policies
that affected the polis. In a speech honoring the Athenian war dead, Pericles
expressed his great pride in Athenian democracy:Athenian Empire After the defeat of the Persians, Athens
helped organize the Delian League. In time, Athens took
over leadership of the league and dominated all the citystates
in it. Pericles used the money from the league’s treasury
to make the Athenian navy the strongest in the
Mediterranean. A strong navy was important because it
helped Athens strengthen the safety of its empire.
Prosperity depended on gaining access to the surrounding
waterways. Athens needed overseas trade to obtain supplies
of grain and other raw materials.
Athenian military might allowed Pericles to treat other
members of the Delian League as part of the empire. Some
cities in the Peloponnesus, however, resisted Athens and
formed their own alliances. As you will read later in this
section, Sparta in particular was at odds with Athens.
Glorifying Athens Pericles also used money from the
Delian League to beautify Athens. Without the league’s
approval, he persuaded the Athenian assembly to vote huge
sums of the league’s money to buy gold, ivory, and marble.
Still more money went to pay the artists, architects, and
workers who used these materials.
Glorious Art and Architecture
Pericles’ goal was to have the greatest Greek artists and
architects create magnificent sculptures and buildings to
glorify Athens. At the center of his plan was one of
architecture’s noblest works—the Parthenon.
Architecture and Sculpture The Parthenon, a masterpiece
of architectural design and craftsmanship, was not unique in
style. Rather, Greek architects constructed the 23,000-
square-foot building in the traditional style that had been
used to create Greek temples for 200 years. This temple,built to honor Athena, the goddess of wisdom and the protector of Athens, contained
examples of Greek art that set standards for future generations of artists
around the world. Pericles entrusted much of the work on the Parthenon to the
sculptor Phidias (FIDH•ee•uhs). Within the temple, Phidias crafted a giant statue
of Athena that not only contained such precious materials as gold and ivory, but
also stood over 30 feet tall.
Phidias and other sculptors during this golden age aimed to create figures that
were graceful, strong, and perfectly formed. Their faces showed neither joy nor
anger, only serenity. Greek sculptors also tried to capture the grace of the idealized
human body in motion. They wanted to portray ideal beauty, not realism. Their values
of harmony, order, balance, and proportion became the standard of what is
called classical art
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