During the first century in Athens, many great advancements in the arts were made.
Shortly following the Peloponnesian War, Athens had a window of peace where the arts greatly flourished. During this period of time, many investments were made into public buildings, such as the Parthenon. These investments into public buildings and civic life promoted creativity and the arts. According to Greece and the Theater, another reason the arts flourished is because of the festival honoring the god Dionysus.(Knox, 18) During this festival, many plays were performed and business were even closed for the day, showing how important the event was to Athenian society. Many playwrights wrote plays that were performed, but the most prevalent is Sophocles. …show more content…
This Golden Age was lead under the leadership of Pericles. Pericles, born in 495 BC, became the leader of Athens in 461 BC. Pericles was born to a war hero and philosopher, and he also grew up alongside artists and philosophers, so he was influenced by those things at a very young age. Pericles greatly influenced the success of Athens in this period of time. He invested greatly into public buildings and also made theatre accessible to mostly everyone, even lower class citizens by paying for a portion of their …show more content…
In 431 BC, the first year of the war, Pericles delivered his famous Funeral Oratory. According to the article, “Periclean Athens and the Modern Democracy,” Pericles not only honors the fallen heroes, but also gives purpose to the fight. He focuses on the greatness of Athens and highlights important values in Athenian men. Values he highlighted in Athenian men are thought, discussion, trust in government, and men who put the greater good in front of their personal benefit. Pericles believed that thought and discussion were important because it led to open mindedness, and therefore a better society. He also believed that everyone in Athens should have trust in their government, because there is a reason they are in the position they are. Finally Pericles highlighted the value of Athenian men putting the greater good in front of their own, addressing the fallen heroes in the war. Besides these values, Pericles also highlights the values Athens has as a empire. “We have a form of government not fetched by imitation from the laws of our neighbouring states (nay, we are rather a pattern to others, than they to us) which, because in the administration it hath respect not to a few but to the multitude, is called a democracy.”(trans. Grene). Pericles highlights the fact that Athens is a democracy, where a man has free will, and the power to do and become whatever he
Shortly following the Peloponnesian War, Athens had a window of peace where the arts greatly flourished. During this period of time, many investments were made into public buildings, such as the Parthenon. These investments into public buildings and civic life promoted creativity and the arts. According to Greece and the Theater, another reason the arts flourished is because of the festival honoring the god Dionysus.(Knox, 18) During this festival, many plays were performed and business were even closed for the day, showing how important the event was to Athenian society. Many playwrights wrote plays that were performed, but the most prevalent is Sophocles. …show more content…
This Golden Age was lead under the leadership of Pericles. Pericles, born in 495 BC, became the leader of Athens in 461 BC. Pericles was born to a war hero and philosopher, and he also grew up alongside artists and philosophers, so he was influenced by those things at a very young age. Pericles greatly influenced the success of Athens in this period of time. He invested greatly into public buildings and also made theatre accessible to mostly everyone, even lower class citizens by paying for a portion of their …show more content…
In 431 BC, the first year of the war, Pericles delivered his famous Funeral Oratory. According to the article, “Periclean Athens and the Modern Democracy,” Pericles not only honors the fallen heroes, but also gives purpose to the fight. He focuses on the greatness of Athens and highlights important values in Athenian men. Values he highlighted in Athenian men are thought, discussion, trust in government, and men who put the greater good in front of their personal benefit. Pericles believed that thought and discussion were important because it led to open mindedness, and therefore a better society. He also believed that everyone in Athens should have trust in their government, because there is a reason they are in the position they are. Finally Pericles highlighted the value of Athenian men putting the greater good in front of their own, addressing the fallen heroes in the war. Besides these values, Pericles also highlights the values Athens has as a empire. “We have a form of government not fetched by imitation from the laws of our neighbouring states (nay, we are rather a pattern to others, than they to us) which, because in the administration it hath respect not to a few but to the multitude, is called a democracy.”(trans. Grene). Pericles highlights the fact that Athens is a democracy, where a man has free will, and the power to do and become whatever he