You're going to be. So, The Hello and welcome back to the history of ancient Greece.

Episode 44, Democracy under Paracles.

There are very few characters throughout history who have given their names

to a period of history and the Athenian statesman Pericles is one of those select few as this part of the 5th century

BC is often called Peraclion because he held such an influential role in Athens. As the radical Democrats had gradually

become the dominant faction in Athenian politics, Pericles seemed willing to

follow a populist policy in order to cajole the public.

According to Aristotle, Pericles' stance can be explained by the fact that his principal political

opponent, Kimon, was both rich and generous and

was able to gain public favor by lavishly handing out portions of a sizable personal

fortune. However, Paricles' family possessed enough resources

that he could have made a political mark by private means, too, had he so chosen.

As we mentioned in episode 40, it was his family's wealth that allowed him to get the best possible education.

In addition to the military training, typical of wealthy Athenians at the time, He came under the influence of two distinguished teachers.

He learned music from an Athenian named Damon, who was renowned as a master in the theory of music.

The other was an outlander and philosopher

Anaxagoras of Clasomeni.

And because of this, Pericles became the first Athenian politician to attribute importance to philosophy.

He also enjoyed the company of two other philosophers, Protagoras and Zeno.

But Anaxagoras became a close friend and influenced him greatly.

In fact, Pericles' manner of thought and rhetorical charisma may have been partly a product of Anaxagoras' emphasis on emotional calm in the face of trouble

and skepticism about divine phenomena.

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