Plutarch: Life of Pericles

by Plutarch, Hubert Ashton Holden

The text features an extensive apparatus criticus and marginal notes. The introduction concludes with a chronology of events in the time of Pericles and an addendum dealing with textual matters. The book also includes vocabulary and four indices.

Genres: History, Biography, Biography Memoir, Greece, Nonfiction, Classics

Paperback

First published January 1, 100

About the author

Plutarch (later named, upon becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus; AD 46–AD 120) was a Greek historian, biographer, and essayist, known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia. He is classified as a Middle Platonist. Plutarch's surviving works were written in Greek, but intended for both Greek and Roman readers.

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admit that I did not find this particular biography of Plutarch's to be as satisfying as some of the others. Perhaps this is because of his assumptions and my ignorance. A Greek, he presumes each of his readers knows the history of this “first citizen of Athens”, but I remember nothing but a smattering of details: a bearded face topped by a helmet, the magnificence of the Acropolis, a great speech for the Greek’s war dead.

Because of this I was often confused, for Plutarch often told me why something happened but never told me what that something was. This made me feel stupid more than once, and when I feel stupid, I get grumpy.

I did know, though, that Pericles was responsible for the building of the Parthenon and most of the rest of the Acropolis, that undying collection of architectural masterpieces, and I was surprised and impressed to discover that they were built very quickly, part of a single great public works project:

As then grew the works up, no less stately in size than exquisite in form, the workmen striving to outvie the material and the design with the beauty of their workmanship, yet the most wonderful thing of all was the rapidity of their execution. Undertakings, any one of which singly might have required, they thought, for their completion, several successions and ages of men, were every one of them accomplished in the height and prime of one man’s political service. Although they say, too, that Zeuxis once, having heard Agatharchus the painter boast of dispatching his work with speed and ease, replied, “I take a long time.” For ease and speed in doing a thing do not give the work lasting solidity or exactness of beauty; the expenditure of time allowed to a man’s pains beforehand for the production of a thing is repaid by way of interest with a vital force for its preservation when once produced. For which reason Pericles’s works are especially admired, as having been made quickly, to last long. For every particular piece of his work was immediately, even at that time, for its beauty and elegance, antique; and yet in its vigor and freshness looks to this day as if it were just executed. There is a sort of bloom of newness upon those works of his, preserving them from the touch of time, as if they had some perennial spirit and undying vitality mingled in the composition of them.

[David Sarkies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Athen's Golden Age
15 Feb 2018 – Phnon Phem

Well, happy Chinese New Year (if I get to actually post this today, and if I don't then it will be a belated greeting, though I have since discovered that the festival lasts three days). Probably not something that really crosses my mind, though you do get a parade in Central Melbourne, but being in South-East Asia it is a lot more noticeable, particularly with the huge influx of Chinese tourists in the region (which is only going to increase). However, I probably should move on to talk about one of the most prominent men in Athenian history, even though he probably isn't the most famous.

Pericles was a politician through and through, and rose to power after the defeat of the Persians. At the time he was quite young, but Plutarch does point out that he was a very gifted orator, so gifted that many of those who were entrenched, such as Cimon, felt threatened by him. As such, before entering political life he basically did what a lot of Athenians did – joined the navy. Mind you, not as your typical pleb rowing a boat, but as a general (which was also an elected position – I still wonder the wisdom in actually electing your military leaders, but considering in the Ancient world pretty much everybody was in the military, that probably wasn't an issue).

I would say that Pericles came to power during a time of unprecedented peace, and in a way it was. Athens had defeated the Persians – the huge empire that stretched off to the ends of the Earth, and they were pretty proud of it. They were also quite wealthy as well. Like a lot of politicians, Perciles held himself out as a man of the people, and while these days politicians will make promises using government money, in those days the politicians would use their own – which meant that if you had a lot of money you could sway a lot of people.

However, Athens was also quite wealthy, and being a peace Pericles embarked upon some really ambitious public works programs, some of them which are still around today – such as:


Another thing that he built were the Long Walls, a series of fortifications that went around the city, and stretched down to the harbour at Pireaus, and these walls ended up being the bane of the Spartans during the Pelopnesian War, namely because they were unable to breach them, and because Athens controlled the seas, they were unable to cut off their supplies.



Yes, the Pelopnesian War – that should be mentioned because it started during Pericles' time, and in a way he was partly responsible. The reason being is that as Athens' power and prestige began to grow, they suddenly started to throw their weight around, and when other city-states revolted, they would violently crush the revolt. This didn't make them all that many friends, while on the other hand, it made the Spartans quite a few friends. Sure, Pericles managed to bribe Sparta to stay out of their affairs for a while, but this pretty quickly collapsed. It looks as if the Pan-Hellenic truce that had arisen out of the Persian Wars was no more. Then again Thebes and Corinth, who were Athens' traditional foes, were also itching for a fight.

Another problem with being in power is that it is very easy to make enemies, and very hard to make friends. Prior to the war Pericles was able to hold on to power due to the influence of his friends, but disaster struck at the start of the war when a plague swept through Athens, and many of his friends died. So, coming out of the end of the plague, and also with the other city-states pressuring Athens to remove Pericles, he suddenly found himself isolated – which meant that he was eventually arrested, and fined.

Pericles has always been a favourite of mine, not only because of his public building works, but also because he was a pretty prominent figure during this period. Interestingly Plutarch uses a lot of play wrights as sources, suggesting that he was the subject of many plays, most likely comedies since tragedies generally didn't deal with current events, only mythology (and if you have read any Aristophanes you would know that these plays could be pretty scathing at times). In any case, this was pretty cool, and it is also interesting to see how Plutarch uses sources in constructing his biographies.

[Natalia]

Read 2023-2024 for Ancient History (Dryden)
Read 2024-2025 for Shakespeare group (North)

[ems · Rating 4 out of 5]

haha i always forget the greeks were the first spin doctors.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvelous, this is perhaps Plutarch's best. The introduction, which is highly entertaining with women spoiling their pet monkeys and puppies, states his general purpose of the whole work in writing about the habits of famous men. Just as we should save our affection for our own kind, we should not waste our reason on lower things.

[Eric Hutchinson]

I read this in the Penguin Classics translation by Ian Scott-Kilvert.

[Lily Flinders]

Dropped some philosophical bombs
What a smart cookie

[Juan Manuel Wills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libro que encontré recomendado en el curso sobre Grecia ANtigua ofrecido en la modalidad MOOC por Coursera. Narra con un estilo sencillo y familiar los grandes logros de uno de los políticos mas importantes de la historia del mundo, cuyo comportamiento analitico y serio, su ejemplo de liderazgo sensato y no emotivo, su integridad como persona y como líder y su amor y compromiso por Atenas, lograron dejar marcado un gran hito y referencia para la humanidad.

Es una obra cuya lectura debería ser obligatoria para toda persona que pretende ser un político de influencia en su comunidad y que claramente muestra como el gobernante debe estar en forma permanente orientado a lograr el bien de la comunidad mas que la gloria personal efímera y perjudicial.

[Jason Comely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the best study guide for Plutarch's Lives that I've come across. Unfortunately this is only Pericles and the author Rachel Lebowitz has one more available. If Rachel decides to write any more I'll be first in line to read them.

[Aaron Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

C. 400 BC—Peloponnesian War

Built the Acropolis.

Self-possession and integrity.

Ability to endure the foolishness of the populace and colleagues.

No matter how good a leader is, much of the people will find reason to disapprove.

[Oneirae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second reading