How did Pericles advance democracy?

Answer 1

In order to establish his position, he consolidated the tentative moves towards democracy of the previous sixty years into a direct democracy, in which the citizens assembled several time a month to vote directly on all governmental issues. As a populist leader, he established himself as unchallenged first citizen after arranging the ostracism (exile) of his conservative opponent Thucydides son of Melesias.

The financial underpinning of his programme for advancing Athens and the welfare of the majority of its citizens was the move the treasury of the anti-Persian confederation of Greek cities from the island of Delos to Athens. With this under control, Athens had the funds to indulge itself beyond its own means.

As a treaty with Persia in 449 BCE ended the Persian threat, the anti-Persian federation became academic. However as Athens had by far the greatest war fleet, the other Greek cities were forced to continue their contribution to the war chest, which enabled Athens to maintain naval superiority, enforce contributions, and not be too concerned how it spent the surplus funds. This surplus was largely directed by Pericles to having about half its citizens on the public payroll - rowing in the navy, jurymen, part of a large public service, on military service, and working in the beautification of Athens which he commissioned, including the buildings on the Acropolis. Athenians became addicted to this prosperity, and also promoted democratic parties in the confederate cities, which was effectively an empire of Athens.

Pericles also led Athens and its allies (empire) into a prolonged war with Sparta and its allies, confident that its unchallenged amphibious capability would allow it to win, however Pericles died shortly into what turned out to be a 27-year war which Athens eventually lost. Whether his strategy would have come out on top if he had lived on is unknowable: it fell into less capable hands, and its outcome broke Athens' pre-eminence in the Greek world, and lost its revenues from its ex-empire. Athens was thereafter at best a second-rate power, and eventually unable to arrest the emergence of Macedon to hegemony of Greece.

Answer 2

Present day life evolved from many different peoples, cultures and political systems. Pericles' radical democracy where all the citizens ruled directly by voting in fortnightly Assembly was only feasible in a small state where citizens could come to the assembly. Modern countries are so large that this is not practicable, so we have representative democracy where the people elect representatives to a parliament, and those parliamentarians very often do not carry out the wishes of the people who elect them, so we have inherited very little from Pericles.

Answer 3

How the Pericles improve the Athenian democarcy was by he allowed more men to take part in GOVERNMENT and orderd to be paid salary.

Answer 4

Pericles impacted history through the advancements of the Athenians. He was a vigorous statesman and general. He was also an effective orator and inspired others.

Answer 5

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