Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Pericles

Pericles

5 8.2
A leader of ancient Athens who helped develop democracy and had the Parthenon built
  • proper noun
: Pericles
  • In the early political ideas of Pericles and Thucydides, Athenian democracy was ranked higher than Sparta's oligarchy, and certainly above tyranny.
  • Pericles praises Athens

They were then in a state of utter hopelessness, and all their angry feelings turned against Pericles.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • The bones of the heroic dead were placed in a public sepulcher, and Pericles, the annually elected military chief, delivered the closing eulogy.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Thucydides captured this by juxtaposing two speeches by the Athenian statesman Pericles.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Back in the time of Pericles, what did the winners of the Olympics wear?

  • I would also add the names of Pericles, Lincoln and Churchill.

  • Among the things for which Pericles praises Athens is that it is an open society.

    Academic text (1991)

  • The trend toward widening the base continued through the age of Pericles, when it included virtually all male citizens.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Under its great leader, Pericles (461-429 B.C.), Athens reached its height of power and prosperity.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Thucydides: Pericles' speech stirs Athenians to fight on, despite many hardships.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • In ancient Athens, the influential leader Pericles advanced democracy and supported the arts.

  • During the Golden Age of Athens, Pericles commissioned the construction of the iconic Parthenon.

Surface Forms

Pericles main

Etymology

Pericles comes from two Greek parts, peri- meaning 'around' and kleos meaning 'glory'. So the name means 'surrounded by glory', which is easy to remember because Pericles was a famous Athenian leader who led Athens during its Golden Age.