Pericles

In Our Time

BBC

History

4.6 • 9.2K Ratings

🗓️ 17 September 2020

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Pericles (495-429BC), the statesman who dominated the politics of Athens for thirty years, the so-called Age of Pericles, when the city’s cultural life flowered, its democracy strengthened as its empire grew, and the Acropolis was adorned with the Parthenon. In 431 BC he gave a funeral oration for those Athenians who had already died in the new war with Sparta which has been celebrated as one of the greatest speeches of all time, yet within two years he was dead from a plague made worse by Athenians crowding into their city to avoid attacks. Thucydides, the historian, knew him and was in awe of him, yet few shared that view until the nineteenth century, when they found much in Pericles to praise, an example for the Victorian age. With Edith Hall Professor of Classics at King's College London. Paul Cartledge AG Leventis Senior Research Fellow at Clare College, University of Cambridge And Peter Liddel Senior Lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Manchester Producer: Simon Tillotson

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds Music Radio Podcasts
0:04.9	Thanks for downloading this episode of In Our Time.
0:07.6	There's a reading list to go with it on our website and you can get news about our programs
0:11.4	if you follow us on Twitter at BBC In Our Time.
0:14.8	I hope you enjoyed the programs.
0:16.6	Hello, we're back with a new series.
0:18.7	In 431BC, Pericles gave a few not-eration to his fellow Athenians, which has been celebrated
0:24.8	as one of the finest speeches ever delivered.
0:27.6	And in two years, he and myself was dead from the plague.
0:31.3	He had dominated the politics of Athens for 30 years, the so-called Age of Pericles,
0:36.6	when the city's cultural life flowered magnificently.
0:39.9	Its democracy strengthened, its empire grew, and the Acropolis was adorned with the Parthenon.
0:45.3	Thucydides, the historian, knew him and was in awe of him.
0:49.6	Yet few shared that view until the 19th century, when they found much in Pericles to praise,
0:55.0	an example for the Victorian Age and his status has been revered and scrutinised ever since.
1:01.4	Joining me from their homes to discuss Pericles are Paul Cartledge,
1:04.6	a. G. Levantist Senior Research Fellow at Claire College University of Cambridge,
1:09.0	Peter Little, Senior Lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Manchester,
1:13.0	and Edith Hall, Professor of Classics at King's College, London.
1:16.9	Edith Hall, Pericles was born around 495BC.
1:20.9	What was happening in Athens then?
1:23.3	Pericles was born into probably the most exciting period of Athenian history that had ever happened.
	...

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