Plutarch's Lives, Vol. 1

Plutarch begins his biography of Pericles with a reminder to his readers to seek to learn about what is worthy of study, namely, the deeds of virtuous men. He believes that his biographies can teach valuable lessons.

Plutarch describes Pericles’s background and early life. Pericles is born into one of the leading families of Athens, and his own greatness is presaged by a dream his mother has when she is pregnant with him, in which she sees herself giving birth to a lion. Plutarch describes Pericles’s appearance too, saying that he was handsome but that his head was elongated (for which reason artists always depicted him wearing a helmet). Pericles was well-educated, learning from some of the great philosophers and artists of the time. Pericles would remain particularly close with the philosopher Anaxagoras throughout his life. Plutarch highlights Pericles’s serious, composed, and rational nature.

Pericles initially avoids politics because he fears that he will be ostracized if he becomes too powerful, especially as he is already rich and well-connected. He enters the military and gains success. Eventually, Pericles does enter politics to advocate for the poor. He earns a reputation as an excellent speaker. Comic poets, however, often make fun of him for his lofty style, while some historians—especially Thucydides—have seen Pericles as a kind of de facto king of Athens. Plutarch highlights instead Pericles’s populist policies. Pericles’s main political rival is the conservative Cimon; when Cimon is ostracized, Pericles rises in power quickly.

Tensions with Sparta begin mounting, as the Spartans hate Pericles and Pericles is working hard to increase Athenian power in the Aegean and in Thrace. As Pericles strengthens the Athenian “Empire,” he also encourages the arts and sponsors building projects. During Pericles’s lifetime, the Athenians build many of their most famous monuments, including the Parthenon. As he becomes more powerful, Pericles increasingly rules Athens like a king and continues to operate in this way for 40 years.

Plutarch describes Pericles’s personal and professional qualities: his frugal nature, his philosophical interests, and his caution as a general. According to Plutarch, his greatest achievement was stopping the Athenians from overextending their empire and keeping the Spartans in their place. Plutarch also highlights the influence that Pericles’s mistress, the educated courtesan Aspasia, had upon Pericles. Some people say that one of Pericles’s most important conquests, the conquest of Samos, was done for Aspasia.

When Pericles denies trading rights to the neighboring city of Megara, he sets in motion a chain reaction that leads to war with Sparta—the Peloponnesian War. When the Spartans invade, many blame the war on Pericles and begin going after his allies, including the artists Phidias, Aspasia, and Anaxagoras. Pericles, however, is able to convince the Athenians to avoid meeting the Spartans in an open infantry battle, even when the Spartans begin raiding their territory: An open battle, as he explains, will favor the Spartans and will likely end in disaster for Athens.

As the Spartans raid the Athenian countryside, Pericles sends the strong Athenian navy to threaten the Peloponnese and has some success with this strategy. During his naval campaign, however, a plague strikes the Athenians, forcing Pericles to return home without a victory. He is stripped of his command and fined, though he is soon reinstated as the situation gets worse for Athens. Soon after, Pericles catches the plague and dies.