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Pericles was a Greek statesman and general whose leadership era is sometimes referred to as the 'Age of Pericles' by contemporary historian Thucydides.
Answer: True
The historian Thucydides acclaimed Pericles as 'the first citizen of Athens,' and his period of leadership is indeed known as the 'Age of Pericles'.
Pericles's mother, Agariste, was a member of the powerful Alcmaeonid noble family, and her connections were instrumental in his political ascent.
Answer: True
Agariste, Pericles's mother, was indeed a member of the influential Alcmaeonid noble family, and her lineage was crucial for his political career.
Agariste's dream of bearing a lion before Pericles's birth was interpreted as a symbol of his future prominence, but also alluded to his unusually small skull.
Answer: False
Agariste's dream was interpreted as a symbol of Pericles's future prominence, and it may have alluded to his unusually *large* skull, not small, which was a subject of jest.
Pericles's first significant public act was presenting *The Persians* by Aeschylus, which demonstrated his support for Cimon against Themistocles.
Answer: False
Pericles's first significant public act was presenting *The Persians* by Aeschylus, but this signaled his support for Themistocles *against* Cimon, not for Cimon.
Pericles successfully prosecuted Cimon in 463 BC, leading to Cimon's conviction for neglecting Athens's interests in Macedon.
Answer: False
Pericles prosecuted Cimon in 463 BC, accusing him of neglecting Athens's interests, but Cimon was ultimately acquitted, not convicted.
Pericles eliminated Cimon as a political opponent in 461 BC through the process of ostracism, accusing him of betraying Athens.
Answer: True
Pericles politically eliminated Cimon in 461 BC through ostracism, accusing him of betraying Athens, leading to Cimon's exile.
Ephialtes's murder in 461 BC significantly weakened Pericles's political authority, as he lost his mentor and the democratic party leader.
Answer: False
Ephialtes's murder in 461 BC actually cleared the way for Pericles to consolidate his authority, making him the unchallenged ruler, rather than weakening his position.
Pericles overcame the challenge from Thucydides in 444 BC by offering to personally reimburse the city for building plan expenses, leading to Thucydides's ostracism.
Answer: True
Pericles successfully countered Thucydides's accusations regarding his building plan by offering personal reimbursement, a move that led to Thucydides's ostracism.
Which historian acclaimed Pericles as 'the first citizen of Athens'?
Answer: Thucydides
The contemporary historian Thucydides famously acclaimed Pericles as 'the first citizen of Athens'.
Pericles's mother, Agariste, was connected to which influential Athenian family?
Answer: The Alcmaeonids
Pericles's mother, Agariste, was a member of the powerful and historically influential Alcmaeonid noble family.
What was Pericles's first significant public act, demonstrating his wealth?
Answer: Presenting *The Persians* by Aeschylus at the Greater Dionysia.
Pericles's first significant public act was presenting *The Persians* by Aeschylus at the Greater Dionysia, which publicly demonstrated his considerable wealth.
What was the outcome of Pericles's prosecution of Cimon in 463 BC?
Answer: Cimon was acquitted, but his political vulnerability was revealed.
In 463 BC, Pericles prosecuted Cimon, who was ultimately acquitted, but the confrontation revealed Cimon's political vulnerability.
How did Pericles eliminate Cimon as a political opponent in 461 BC?
Answer: Through the process of ostracism.
Pericles politically eliminated Cimon in 461 BC through the process of ostracism, accusing him of betraying Athens.
What was the impact of Ephialtes's murder on Pericles's political authority?
Answer: It cleared the way for Pericles to consolidate his authority.
Ephialtes's murder in 461 BC removed Pericles's mentor and the leader of the democratic party, allowing Pericles to consolidate his authority as the unchallenged ruler of Athens.
How did Pericles overcome the challenge from the conservative leader Thucydides in 444 BC?
Answer: He offered to personally reimburse the city for building expenses, leading to Thucydides's ostracism.
Pericles countered Thucydides's accusations regarding his building plan by offering personal reimbursement, a move that led to Thucydides's ostracism for 10 years.
Ephialtes's proposal to reduce the powers of the Areopagus was adopted by the Athenian Assembly, marking the beginning of 'radical democracy'.
Answer: True
Ephialtes's proposal to reduce the powers of the Areopagus was indeed adopted by the Athenian Assembly, initiating an era of 'radical democracy'.
Pericles adopted populist policies primarily to gain favor with the wealthy aristocratic class in Athens.
Answer: False
Pericles adopted populist policies to counter his rival Cimon and secure public support, particularly from the lower classes, not the wealthy aristocratic class.
Pericles's most controversial measure was a law in 451 BC that restricted Athenian citizenship to individuals whose parents were both of Athenian descent.
Answer: True
Pericles's most controversial measure was indeed the 451 BC law restricting Athenian citizenship to those with both parents of Athenian descent.
Constantine Paparrigopoulos believed Pericles's populist policies ultimately led to Athens's decline into political turmoil after his death.
Answer: True
Constantine Paparrigopoulos argued that while Pericles expanded democratic institutions, his populist policies ultimately contributed to Athens's decline into political turmoil after his death.
Pericles believed the *demos* (common people) were an untapped source of Athenian power, especially for manning the Athenian fleet.
Answer: True
Pericles believed the *demos* was an essential, untapped source of Athenian power, particularly for manning the Athenian fleet, which was crucial for military dominance.
Which of the following was a populist social policy introduced by Pericles after Cimon's ostracism?
Answer: Providing generous wages to citizens serving as jurymen.
After Cimon's ostracism, Pericles introduced populist social policies, including providing generous wages to citizens serving as jurymen in the Heliaia.
What was Pericles's most controversial measure regarding Athenian citizenship?
Answer: Restricting citizenship to individuals whose parents were both of Athenian descent.
Pericles's most controversial measure was a law enacted in 451 BC that restricted Athenian citizenship exclusively to individuals whose parents were both of Athenian descent.
According to Loren J. Samons II, what did Pericles believe about the *demos* (common people)?
Answer: They were an untapped source of Athenian power and military dominance.
Loren J. Samons II states that Pericles believed the *demos* was an essential, untapped source of Athenian power, particularly for manning the Athenian fleet.
Pericles's ambitious building program, which included structures like the Parthenon, was primarily funded by his personal wealth to beautify Athens.
Answer: False
Pericles's building program, including the Parthenon, was primarily financed using funds from the Delian League's treasury, not his personal wealth.
Pericles's Congress Decree in 449 BC aimed to rebuild temples destroyed by the Persians and succeeded due to widespread Greek support.
Answer: False
Pericles's Congress Decree aimed to rebuild temples but failed due to Sparta's opposition, not succeeding with widespread Greek support.
Pericles accelerated the transformation of the Delian League into an Athenian empire by encouraging allies to contribute more ships.
Answer: False
Pericles accelerated the transformation of the Delian League into an Athenian empire by encouraging allies to pay *tribute* instead of contributing ships, not more ships.
The Coinage Decree imposed Athenian silver coinage, weights, and measures on all allies, with a death penalty for misusing surplus minting funds.
Answer: True
The Coinage Decree, proposed by Clearchus, indeed imposed Athenian silver coinage, weights, and measures on all allies, including a death penalty for misusing surplus minting funds.
Angelos Vlachos praised Pericles's use of the alliance's treasury for building projects as a model of financial transparency.
Answer: False
Angelos Vlachos characterized Pericles's use of the alliance's treasury for building projects as one of the largest embezzlements in human history, not a model of financial transparency.
The Samian War began when Samos refused Athens's order to cease fighting against Miletus and submit to arbitration.
Answer: True
The Samian War began when Samos refused Athens's order to cease fighting against Miletus and submit to arbitration, leading to an Athenian expedition.
What was a major accomplishment of Pericles regarding the Delian League?
Answer: He transformed the Delian League into an Athenian empire.
Pericles significantly accelerated the transformation of the Delian League into an Athenian empire, notably by transferring its treasury to Athens.
What major military disaster did Athens experience in the mid-450s BC?
Answer: An unsuccessful expedition to support an Egyptian revolt against Persia.
In the mid-450s BC, Athens suffered a significant military disaster during an unsuccessful expedition to support an Egyptian revolt against Persia.
What was the purpose of Pericles's Congress Decree in 449 BC?
Answer: To convene a meeting of all Greek states to discuss rebuilding temples.
Pericles's Congress Decree in 449 BC aimed to convene a meeting of all Greek states to discuss rebuilding temples destroyed by the Persians.
What significant achievement did Pericles accomplish in the Thracian peninsula of Gallipoli in 447 BC?
Answer: He expelled barbarians and established Athenian colonists.
In 447 BC, Pericles successfully expelled barbarians from the Thracian peninsula of Gallipoli and established Athenian colonists there.
What was the Coinage Decree, proposed by Clearchus around 447 BC?
Answer: A law imposing Athenian silver coinage, weights, and measures on all allies.
The Coinage Decree, proposed by Clearchus, imposed Athenian silver coinage, weights, and measures on all of Athens's allies.
What was Angelos Vlachos's assessment of Pericles's use of the alliance's treasury for building projects?
Answer: He characterized it as one of the largest embezzlements in human history.
Angelos Vlachos characterized Pericles's use of the alliance's treasury for building projects as one of the largest embezzlements in human history, despite acknowledging its artistic outcomes.
What was the cause of the Samian War in 440 BC?
Answer: A dispute between Samos and Miletus over control of Priene.
The Samian War began in 440 BC due to a dispute between Samos and Miletus over control of Priene, which escalated when Samos refused Athenian arbitration.
The 'Peace of Callias' was a widely accepted and well-documented treaty that definitively ended hostilities between the Greeks and the Persians.
Answer: False
The existence and specific terms of the 'Peace of Callias' are highly disputed among historians, and it is not considered a widely accepted or well-documented treaty.
Pericles resolved the Spartan invasion of Attica in 446 BC by engaging the Spartan army in a decisive land battle.
Answer: False
Pericles resolved the Spartan invasion of Attica in 446 BC through a combination of bribery and negotiations, leading to their withdrawal, rather than a decisive land battle.
The Thirty Years' Peace required Athens to relinquish most of its mainland possessions acquired since 460 BC.
Answer: True
The Thirty Years' Peace, concluded in 446-445 BC, indeed required Athens to relinquish most of its mainland possessions acquired since 460 BC.
Plutarch suggested Pericles deliberately provoked the Peloponnesian War to protect his political standing at home.
Answer: True
Plutarch indeed suggested that Pericles deliberately provoked the Peloponnesian War, concerned about his impending trial and seeking to protect his political standing.
Thucydides believed Sparta's fear of Athenian power and growth was the underlying reason for the Peloponnesian War.
Answer: True
Thucydides, while acknowledging other factors, believed that Sparta's growing fear of Athenian power and expansion was the fundamental cause of the Peloponnesian War.
The Megarian Decree was a trade embargo that prohibited Megarian merchants from accessing Athenian markets and ports.
Answer: True
The Megarian Decree was indeed a trade embargo proposed by Pericles, prohibiting Megarian merchants from accessing Athenian markets and imperial ports.
Pericles advised Athenians to yield to Sparta's demands before the war to avoid conflict.
Answer: False
Pericles advised Athenians *not* to yield to Sparta's demands before the war, believing concessions would only lead to further demands.
When Archidamus II invaded Attica in 431 BC, Pericles ordered the entire rural population to evacuate and move within the walls of Athens.
Answer: True
When Spartan King Archidamus II invaded Attica in 431 BC, Pericles indeed ordered the evacuation of the rural population into the fortified walls of Athens.
The rural residents of Attica were pleased with Pericles's evacuation order, as it ensured their safety and preserved their way of life.
Answer: False
The rural residents of Attica were far from pleased with Pericles's evacuation order, as it meant abandoning their land and ancestral shrines, altering their way of life, and witnessing the pillage of their farms.
Pericles's military policy emphasized seeking decisive land battles against the Peloponnesians to exploit Athens's naval superiority.
Answer: False
Pericles's military policy was cautious and defensive, avoiding decisive land battles against the Peloponnesians, instead relying on Athens's naval power and aiming to exhaust the enemy.
Donald Kagan criticized Pericles's military strategy as 'a form of wishful thinking that failed' and too feeble to exploit opportunities.
Answer: True
Donald Kagan indeed criticized Pericles's military strategy as 'a form of wishful thinking that failed,' arguing it was too feeble and lacked credibility.
What significant truce was negotiated with Sparta in 451 BC, involving Cimon?
Answer: A five-year truce.
In 451 BC, Cimon negotiated a five-year truce with Sparta, a move that followed a proposal by Pericles.
Why is the existence of the 'Peace of Callias' debated among historians?
Answer: Its terms and negotiation details remain ambiguous and highly disputed.
The existence and specific terms of the 'Peace of Callias,' an alleged treaty with Persia, are highly disputed among historians due to ambiguity and lack of definitive documentation.
How did Pericles resolve the Spartan invasion of Attica in 446 BC?
Answer: Through a combination of bribery and negotiations.
Pericles resolved the Spartan invasion of Attica in 446 BC through a combination of bribery and negotiations, leading to the Spartan withdrawal.
What were the terms of the Thirty Years' Peace, concluded in 446-445 BC?
Answer: Athens relinquished most of its mainland possessions acquired since 460 BC.
The Thirty Years' Peace required Athens to relinquish most of its mainland possessions and interests acquired since 460 BC.
According to Plutarch, what did Pericles allegedly do to protect his political standing before the Peloponnesian War?
Answer: He deliberately provoked the Peloponnesian War.
Plutarch suggested that Pericles, concerned about an impending trial, deliberately provoked the Peloponnesian War to protect his political standing at home.
What was the Megarian Decree?
Answer: A trade embargo prohibiting Megarian merchants from Athenian markets and ports.
The Megarian Decree was a trade embargo proposed by Pericles that prohibited Megarian merchants from accessing the market of Athens and its imperial ports.
What was Pericles's strategy when Spartan King Archidamus II invaded Attica in 431 BC?
Answer: To evacuate the entire population of Attica within the walls of Athens.
Pericles's strategy when Archidamus II invaded Attica in 431 BC was to evacuate the entire population of the region within the walls of Athens, denying the Spartan army a decisive land battle.
What was Pericles's general military policy and strategy during the Peloponnesian War?
Answer: A defensive 'grand strategy' focused on naval power and exhausting the enemy.
Pericles's military policy during the Peloponnesian War was a defensive 'grand strategy' that relied on Athens's naval superiority to exhaust the enemy and preserve the *status quo*.
What was a criticism Donald Kagan leveled against Pericles's military strategy?
Answer: It was a form of wishful thinking that failed and lacked credibility.
Donald Kagan criticized Pericles's military strategy as 'a form of wishful thinking that failed,' arguing it lacked credibility and was too feeble to exploit opportunities.
Pericles delivered his famous Funeral Oration in the summer of 430 BC, honoring those who died from the plague.
Answer: False
Pericles delivered his Funeral Oration in the *winter* of 431-430 BC, honoring those who died in the initial stages of the Peloponnesian War, not specifically from the plague which struck later in the summer of 430 BC.
The 'Plague of Athens' in 430 BC led to Pericles being permanently removed from his generalship and heavily fined.
Answer: False
While the Plague of Athens led to Pericles being temporarily deprived of his generalship and fined, he was re-elected as *strategos* in 429 BC, indicating it was not a permanent removal.
Pericles's final notable statement before his death emphasized his numerous war trophies and military victories.
Answer: False
Pericles's final notable statement emphasized that he had 'never caused any living Athenian to put on mourning,' highlighting his commitment to avoiding personal harm to citizens, rather than his military victories.
Thucydides believed Pericles's death was a disaster for Athens, as his successors pursued unstable policies driven by popularity.
Answer: True
Thucydides indeed considered Pericles's death a disaster for Athens, believing his successors pursued unstable, popularity-driven policies that led to the city's decline.
Plato praised Pericles for making Athenians 'slothful, garrulous and avaricious' through his public fees.
Answer: False
Plato *criticized* Pericles for making Athenians 'slothful, garrulous and avaricious' through public fees, rather than praising him for it.
Pericles's most enduring legacy is considered to be the literary and artistic works of the Golden Age of Athens, including the Acropolis.
Answer: True
Pericles's most visible and enduring legacy is indeed considered the literary and artistic works of the Golden Age of Athens, including the Acropolis.
What significant oration did Pericles deliver in the winter of 431-430 BC?
Answer: The Funeral Oration.
In the winter of 431-430 BC, Pericles delivered his monumental Funeral Oration, honoring Athenians who died in the early stages of the Peloponnesian War.
What was Pericles's final notable statement before his death, according to Plutarch?
Answer: That he had never caused any living Athenian to put on mourning.
Pericles's final notable statement emphasized that he had 'never caused any living Athenian to put on mourning,' highlighting his commitment to avoiding personal tyranny and harm to citizens.
How did Thucydides assess the impact of Pericles's death on Athens?
Answer: He considered it a disaster, leading to unstable policies by inferior successors.
Thucydides considered Pericles's death a disaster for Athens, believing his successors pursued unstable policies driven by popularity rather than utility, leading to the city's decline.
What is considered Pericles's most visible and enduring legacy?
Answer: The literary and artistic works of the Golden Age of Athens, including the Acropolis.
Pericles's most visible and enduring legacy is considered to be the literary and artistic works of the Golden Age of Athens, particularly the structures on the Acropolis.
Pericles was often depicted wearing a helmet to conceal his unusually large skull, according to Plutarch.
Answer: False
While Plutarch suggested the helmet concealed a large skull, historical accounts indicate it was a symbol of his official rank as *strategos* (general), not a concealment.
Pericles was the first politician to emphasize the importance of philosophy and cultivated friendships with prominent philosophers like Anaxagoras.
Answer: True
Pericles is credited as the first politician to emphasize philosophy, cultivating friendships with figures such as Protagoras, Zeno of Elea, and Anaxagoras.
Upon assuming leadership, Pericles consciously protected his privacy, avoided banquets, and practiced frugality to serve as a role model.
Answer: True
Plutarch notes that Pericles, upon assuming a leadership role, consciously protected his privacy, avoided banquets, and practiced frugality, aiming to be a role model.
Pericles and his associates, Phidias and Aspasia, faced accusations of impiety and maladministration just before the Peloponnesian War.
Answer: True
Pericles and his close associates, Phidias and Aspasia, indeed faced accusations of impiety and maladministration just before the Peloponnesian War.
An eclipse of the sun occurred during Pericles's last military operations, which he used his astronomical knowledge to calm his frightened crews.
Answer: True
During a naval expedition in 430 BC, an eclipse of the sun occurred, and Pericles, applying his astronomical knowledge from Anaxagoras, successfully calmed his frightened crews.
Pericles's relationship with Aspasia was widely accepted and praised by Athenian society, including his son Xanthippus.
Answer: False
Pericles's relationship with Aspasia faced criticism and attacks due to her non-Athenian status, and his son Xanthippus publicly slandered his father over it, indicating it was not widely accepted or praised.
Pericles's son with Aspasia, Pericles the Younger, was granted Athenian citizenship through an exception to the law Pericles himself had proposed.
Answer: True
Pericles the Younger was indeed granted Athenian citizenship through an exceptional change to the law Pericles himself had proposed, which restricted citizenship to those with both Athenian parents.
Thucydides's recordings of Pericles's speeches are considered exact transcriptions, as Pericles wrote them down himself.
Answer: False
Pericles never wrote down his orations, and historians debate whether Thucydides's recordings are exact transcriptions or incorporate his own ideas and paraphrasing.
In Periclean Athens, religion and civic life were strictly separated, with religious observances being purely private matters.
Answer: False
In Periclean Athens, religion and civic life were deeply integrated, with participation in religious rituals considered a highly political act, not strictly separated private matters.
According to historical accounts, why was Pericles often depicted wearing a helmet?
Answer: To represent his official rank as *strategos* (general).
The helmet in Pericles's depictions was a symbol of his official rank as *strategos*, or general, indicating his military leadership.
Which philosopher profoundly influenced Pericles's emotional calm and skeptical approach to divine phenomena?
Answer: Anaxagoras
Anaxagoras profoundly influenced Pericles's emotional calm and skeptical approach to divine phenomena.
What was the outcome of the accusations against Aspasia?
Answer: She was acquitted, reportedly due to Pericles's emotional outburst.
Aspasia was acquitted of the accusations against her, reportedly due to a rare emotional outburst from Pericles during her trial.
What exceptional legal change occurred for Pericles's son, Pericles the Younger?
Answer: He was granted citizenship despite the law Pericles himself proposed.
Pericles the Younger was granted Athenian citizenship through an exceptional change to the law of 451 BC, which Pericles himself had proposed to limit citizenship to those of Athenian parentage on both sides.
What is the debate surrounding the authenticity of Pericles's speeches as recorded by Thucydides?
Answer: Whether Thucydides accurately transcribed Pericles's exact words or incorporated his own ideas.
The debate centers on whether Thucydides accurately transcribed Pericles's exact words or incorporated his own literary creations and paraphrases, as Pericles never wrote down his orations.
What was the relationship between religion and civic life in Periclean Athens?
Answer: Religion was deeply integrated into civic life, with participation in rituals considered a political act.
In Periclean Athens, religion was deeply integrated into civic life, with participation in rituals considered a highly political act, and no separation between church and state existed.