Pericles: Statesman, Demagogue, Eccentric

Great Lives of the Ancient World

by Paul Cartledge

Pericles, the Athenian statesman, was a towering figure of his era, renowned for promoting Athenian democracy, shaping the Athenian Empire and championing the arts, notably through the Parthenon’s creation. Born to aristocracy, he was a fervent democrat, a masterful demagogue in the ancient sense and an eccentric in his personal life. Paul Cartledge explores Pericles’ life, examines Athenian history and provides an insightful account of Pericles’ political career, his role in Athens’s building programme, his intellectual connections and his love life. Cartledge further considers Pericles’ reputation in the theatre as well as the ways in which he has been represented over the centuries from antiquity to the present day. This is a nuanced, illuminating and lively portrayal of a remarkable politician.

240 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication August 4, 2026

About the author

Paul Anthony Cartledge is the 1st A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture at Cambridge University, having previously held a personal chair in Greek History at Cambridge. He was educated at St Paul's School & New College, Oxford where he took his 1st degree & completed his doctoral thesis in Spartan archaeology in 1975 under Prof. Sir John Boardman. After a period at the University of Warwick he moved in 10/79 to Cambridge University where he's a fellow of Clare College.
He's a world expert on Athens & Sparta in the Classical Age & has been described as a Laconophile. He was chief historical consultant for the BBC TV series The Greeks & the Channel 4 series The Spartans, presented by Bettany Hughes. He's also a holder of the Gold Cross of the Order of Honour & an Honorary Citizen of modern Sparta. Besides the Leventis Professorship, he holds a visiting Global Distinguished Professorship at New York University, funded by the Greek Parliament.