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==Introduction==
Pericles (495-425 BC) is considered by many to be one of the great statesmen who ever lived not only in Ancient Greece but in the history of Western Civilization. There are many who claim that the 5th century BC Athenian led his city-state to an unparalleled era of power and prosperity. It was common for historians to unreservedly praise the Athenian for his role in the rise of the Athenians to predominance in Greece and f as a great democratic leader. Moreover, many credited him with leading Athens to a golden age of culture and artistic achievements. However, there are many some who dispute the greatness of Pericles and assert that he was at least partially responsible for the collapse of its Empire. This article examines Pericles' impact on the city-state, its culture, politics and his role in its ultimate defeat in the Second Peloponnesian War.
[[File:Socrates Two.jpg |200px|thumb|left|Bust of Pericles]]
==Athens in the 5th century BC==
The city-state played a leading role in the defeat of the Persian Invasion and it emerged as the de-facto leader of the Greek world after Sparta withdrew from offensive operations against Persia. Athens became the leader of the Delian League and continued the war against the Persians. Athens was a democracy, but it was very different from modern conceptions of democracy. All the citizens participated in the administration and the government of the city-state<ref> Saxonhouse, A. W. (1993). Athenian democracy: Modern mythmakers and ancient theorists. PS: Political Science & Politics, 26(3), 486-490 </ref>. Citizens were elected every year to a range of posts, from that of general (strategeos) to municipal officials. The citizens sat in a council that voted on the policies and laws of the city. They even voted on criminal cases and decided who could be exiled from the city and even executed. However, women and foreigners could not be citizens and Athens was a slave-owning society. In the Fifth Century BC, the economy of the city-state flourished thanks to maritime trade, the silver mines, and industry. Athens was the undisputed maritime power in the Eastern Mediterranean and this was the source of its security and wealth<ref>Wolin, Sheldon S. "Democracy: Electoral and Athenian." PS: Political Science & Politics 26, no. 3 (1993): 475-477 </ref>.
