Perikles

Japanese: ペリクレス - ぺりくれす（英語表記）Perikles

A politician from Athens who represents the heyday of ancient Greece. He was from a distinguished family, his mother being the niece of Cleisthenes, and he perfected Athenian democracy.

[Sadao Ito]

Achievements

His political activities began with the impeachment of Cimon, a representative oligarchic politician, in 463 BC, but the first step in which Pericles left a major mark on the history of Athens was the reforms of Ephialtes in 462 BC. Together with the democratic leader Ephialtes, he took advantage of Cimon's absence to campaign against Sparta to seize real power from the Council of Areios Pagos, an oligarchic stronghold, and transferred it to democratic institutions such as the People's Assembly, the People's Tribunal, and the Council of Five Hundred, putting an end to the long transition from aristocracy to democracy in Athens. After the assassination of Ephialtes by the oligarchy and the ostracism of Cimon, Pericles rose to the forefront of the political world, but continued to be at odds with the oligarchy led by Cimon's successor Thucydides (not the same historian of the same name). In the midst of this, he implemented a number of policies to win over the people, which led to the realization of thorough democracy in Athens. He instituted the system of paying people to attend the People's Tribunal and the theater allowance for tragedies and comedies at the Dionysia festival, and built large-scale public buildings such as the Parthenon, giving large amounts of worker allowances to citizens. At the same time, he sent lower-class citizens to settle in Thrace and the islands of the Aegean Sea in order to provide land for them. It was in 458 BC that Solon lowered the qualifications for the appointment of archon to the third class out of four classes.

Another unforgettable achievement of Pericles is the so-called Citizenship Law, which was proposed by him and passed by the Athenian Assembly in 451 BC. This law meant that from then on, in Athens, only boys with both Athenian parents could be granted citizenship. The intention behind this legislation is unclear, but it is undeniable that the legal framework of the citizen body was strictly defined based on birth, and this was observed until the end of the 4th century BC, except for the final period of the Peloponnesian War, fundamentally determining the human makeup of the Athenian state.

The time when Pericles was active was the heyday of the Delian League. He was a strategist with a keen eye for the big picture, and he demonstrated his skill in foreign policy by simultaneously opposing Persia and Sparta, and by preventing the defection of the allied cities and strengthening their unity. The prosperity of Athens during this period was largely due to the control of the Delian League, and the construction of large temples such as the Parthenon was largely due to the misappropriation of league funds.

[Sadao Ito]

The Pericles era

After successfully ousting the oligarchic leader Thucydides in 443 BC, Pericles held the post of general and freely led national affairs for the next 14 years, literally establishing the "Periclean Age." Athens made peace with Persia in 449 BC and with Sparta in 446 BC, and enjoyed a brief period of peace until the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, during which time the city enjoyed a zenith in the fields of politics, economy, and culture. According to the historian Thucydides, Athens was virtually under the rule of Pericles during this period, and he led national affairs with dignity, backed by the immense trust of his citizens, who placed their faith in his personality and insight. On the other hand, Pericles had connections with some of the leading thinkers and artists of his time, such as Anaxagoras, Phidias, and Sophocles, and he also formed a salon around his concubine Aspasia, which was made up of many intellectuals, including Socrates.

The outbreak of the Peloponnesian War in 431 BC also cast a shadow over Pericles' own fate. He persuaded the citizens to force the peasants and their families living in the countryside to move into the city walls, and to decide the outcome of the war with the Spartans at sea. However, in 430 BC, an epidemic spread through the outer port of Piraeus and into the city walls, causing a tragic death of many citizens. Pericles was temporarily removed from his position as general, and also suffered the misfortune of losing two legitimate sons in succession. Having lost an heir to his family, Pericles asked the assembly to grant Athenian citizenship to the son born to him and Aspasia from Miletus, contrary to the law he had proposed earlier. This was granted, but he himself died of the epidemic shortly after. After his death, as the war progressed, it seemed that the correctness of his strategy would be vindicated. However, Athens produced demagogues such as Cleon, who pursued a militant ideology that pleased the lower classes of citizens, paving the way to defeat.

[Sadao Ito]

"The History of the Peloponnesian War, Vol. 1" by Thucydides, translated by Masaaki Kubo (Iwanami Bunko) " "Pericles" by Plutarch, translated by Keiji Baba (included in "Plutarch's Lives, Collected Works of Classical Literature 23" 1966, Chikuma Shobo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

古代ギリシアの盛期を代表するアテネの政治家。クレイステネスの姪(めい)を母にもつ名門の出身で、アテネ民主政の完成者。

［伊藤貞夫］

事績

政界での活動は、紀元前463年、寡頭派の代表的政治家キモンに対する弾劾をもって始まるが、ペリクレスがアテネの歴史に大きな足跡を残した第一歩は、前462年のエフィアルテスの改革であった。彼は民主派の指導者エフィアルテスとともに、キモンのスパルタへの出陣の留守をねらい、寡頭派の牙城(がじょう)アレイオス・パゴス評議会の実権を奪って、これを民会、民衆法廷、五百人評議会といった民主的諸機関に移し、アテネにおける貴族政から民主政への長い移行過程に終止符を打った。その後、寡頭派によるエフィアルテスの暗殺と、キモンの陶片追放により、ペリクレスは政界の第一人者の地位にたつが、キモンの後継者トゥキディデス（同名の歴史家とは別人）の率いる寡頭派との対立が続き、そのなかで彼は民衆を味方につけるため数々の政策を実行し、そのことがアテネにおける徹底した民主政の実現につながった。彼は民衆法廷への出席手当、ディオニシア大祭の行事である悲劇・喜劇の観劇手当を創始し、またパルテノン神殿建立をはじめ大規模な公共建築をおこして市民たちに大量の工人手当を与える一方、下層市民に土地を供すべく、彼らを入植者としてトラキア地方、エーゲ海の島々などに次々と送り出した。アルコンへの就任資格がソロンによる四等級の第三級にまで引き下げられたのも、前458年のことであった。

　ペリクレスの事績としてもう一つ忘れることができないのは、前451年、彼の提案によりアテネ民会を通過した、いわゆる市民権法である。この法により、以後アテネでは、両親ともにアテネ人でなければ男子に市民権が与えられないこととなった。その立法意図は不明であるが、市民団の法制上の枠組みが出生を基準に厳密に定められ、以後ペロポネソス戦争末期を除き、前4世紀末に至るまでそれが守られて、アテネ国家の人的構成のあり方を基本的に規定した事実は否定できない。

　ペリクレスの活躍した時代はデロス同盟の全盛期にあたる。彼は大局観に優れた戦略家でもあって、ペルシアとスパルタとに同時に対抗し、また同盟諸市の離反を防いで結束を固めるなど対外政策にも敏腕を発揮した。この時期のアテネの繁栄はデロス同盟支配に負うところ多く、たとえばパルテノンほかの大規模な神殿建築も同盟資金の流用によるところすこぶる大きかった。

［伊藤貞夫］

ペリクレス時代

前443年、寡頭派の領袖(りょうしゅう)トゥキディデスの陶片追放に成功したペリクレスは、以後14年にわたって連年、将軍職について国政を自由に指導し、文字どおり「ペリクレス時代」を築いた。前449年にペルシアと、また前446年にはスパルタと和平を結んだアテネは、こののちペロポネソス戦争の勃発(ぼっぱつ)に至るまでつかのまの平和を享受し、政治、経済、文化の各分野にわたってその絶頂期にあった。歴史家トゥキディデスに従えば、この時期のアテネは事実上ペリクレスの支配の下にあり、彼はその人格と識見に寄せられた市民たちの絶大な信頼を背に、威厳をもって国政の指導にあたった。他面ペリクレスには、アナクサゴラス、フェイディアス、ソフォクレスといった当代一流の思想家や芸術家との間に交流があり、愛妾(あいしょう)アスパシアの周囲にもソクラテスはじめ多くの知識人からなるサロンが形成された。

　前431年のペロポネソス戦争の勃発は、ペリクレス自身の運命にも暗影を投じた。彼は市民たちを説得して、田園に住む農民とその家族を中心市の城壁内に移住させる籠城(ろうじょう)策を強行し、海上でスパルタ側と勝敗を決する作戦をとったが、前430年、外港ピレウスを経て疫病が城壁内に広がり、多数の市民がそのために病死する惨事が起こった。ペリクレスは一時、将軍職を追われ、また嫡出男子2人を相次いで失う悲運にみまわれた。家の後継者を失ったペリクレスは、ミレトス出身のアスパシアとの間に生まれた男子に、自らが先に提案した法に反して、アテネ市民権を賦与するよう民会に願い出、とくにそれを許されたが、まもなく自身、疫病の犠牲となって世を去った。死後、戦局の推移に伴い、彼の戦略の正しさが立証されるかにみえた。しかしアテネにはクレオンほかのデマゴゴスが輩出し、下層市民の意を迎える好戦主義に終始して、敗北への道を開くこととなった。

［伊藤貞夫］

『トゥキュディデス著、久保正彰訳『戦史　上巻』（岩波文庫）』▽『プルタルコス著、馬場恵二訳『ペリクレス』（『世界古典文学全集23　プルタルコス英雄伝』所収・1966・筑摩書房）』

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