Concetti Chiave
- Pericles rose to power in Athens around 460 BC and led Athenian politics for 30 years, following the assassination of the king.
- Despite his aristocratic origins, Pericles strengthened the democratic elements by transferring powers to the Assembly, diminishing the Areopagus's influence.
- Pericles introduced compensation for participation in the Assembly and judiciary, encouraging broader citizen involvement in politics.
- Strategists, including Pericles, were elected from higher classes, maintaining some aristocratic influence in executive roles.
- In 451 BC, Pericles enacted a law restricting citizenship to those with Athenian parents, excluding foreign residents and mixed descendants from political rights.
Rise of Pericles
Power, in Athens, went to the head of the Democratic Party, Ephialtes and, after the assassination of the king, the throne was given to Pericles (460 BC), which he directed for 30 years by the Athenian politics. He was the son of Xanthippus, who had sent the fleet at the battle of Mycale, and maternally descended from the family of the Alcmaeonidae, the noblest of Athens, and the founder of democracy, Cleisthenes.
Democratic Reforms
Despite having aristocratic origins, Pericle worked to strengthen the popular component within the State: transferred all powers to the Assembly, where the people could assert their superiority, removing them to the Areopagus, who lost the chance to oversee political life and was reduced to judging the crimes of blood.
Also, promounced the decree that anyone who participates in the Assembly or in the Court as the judge had the right to receive compensation; and, to better ensure equal rights, judiciaries were drawn among all citizens, without exceptions for military and financial ones, which were elective. In this way, even less affluent citizens who constitute the "hard core" of the Democratic Party, were induced to participate more actively in the political life: that of the citizen became a real job, with great scandal of the right-thinkers to which it seemed inconceivable that anyone could take the "floor or speech" in the meeting and make the decisions.
In fact the demonstrations had a strong power of control over that great policy initiative, as strategists, which constituted the highest executive organ, continued to be elected and chosen from among the higher classes (and Chief strategists was for a long time Pericles himself).
Limitations on Citizenship
In addition, it must be remembered that Pericles, with a law enacted in 451 BC, had limited citizenship to those who could prove to have both parents Athenians: this means that both foreign residents (metics) and descendants by intermarriage were then excluded from political rights.
Domande da interrogazione
- How did Pericles influence the democratic structure of Athens?
- What was the impact of Pericles' citizenship law enacted in 451 BC?
- How did Pericles' background influence his political career in Athens?
Pericles strengthened the democratic component by transferring powers to the Assembly, allowing the people to assert their superiority. He also introduced compensation for participation in the Assembly or Court, encouraging active political involvement from less affluent citizens.
Pericles' law limited Athenian citizenship to individuals with both parents being Athenians, excluding foreign residents and those of mixed heritage from political rights, thereby tightening the criteria for political participation.
Despite his aristocratic origins, Pericles, descended from the noble Alcmaeonidae family and son of Xanthippus, worked to empower the popular component of the state, balancing his heritage with democratic reforms that shaped Athenian politics.
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