Pericles
PericlesPericles was born into the best families of Athens, both on his father's and mother's side. He received a good education from his teachers, including the philosopher Zeno. So adept was Zeno at sophistry that it was said Zeno could prove any proposition to be false.
Pericles learned most from Anaxagoras, who imparted to young Pericles the majesty and gravity he had in all his sayings and doings, superior to all arts of popularity. Anaxagoras was the first philosopher to attribute the order of the world to intelligence, rather than to chance or necessity, and to explain power as the affinity of similar things. With his mind occupied by such thoughts, Pericles was dignified in his language and serene and calm in his movements. Nothing could shake his majestic composure.
One day, Pericles was in the marketplace of Athens doing business, and all day long some noisy pest kept following him around, yelling vituperation. He even followed Pericles home. Throughout the ordeal, Pericles maintained his composure. It was dark by the time Pericles arrived home, so he gave orders for one of his servants to take a torch and guide this critic safely back to wherever he lived.
Some people said that Pericles was only trying to fool the public with a false front of virtue. But Zeno replied that if Pericles were faking virtue, his detractors should do the same, because even pretending to be good, if this is
continued for long enough, will give a man the desire and practice that is needed for good habits.
Pericles was very wealthy, and his skill with words made him famous in Athens while he was still a young man. But because he was afraid of being ostracized, and banished for being too great a man, Pericles stayed out of
politics for a long time. He was not at ease among common people, but when he decided to participate in public affairs he joined the democratic party. His rival, Cimon, led the aristocratic party. Once he entered politics, Pericles gave up going to dinner with his friends, and he avoided all social events of any kind, believing that familiarity causes contempt.
Such friendly meetings make it impossible to keep up a front of fake greatness. Perfect virtue, however, is most excellent in common things, and welcomes inspection. Truly good men do not put on one face for
strangers and another for their friends.
Only rarely did Pericles appear in public, and only on the most important occasions. Then, when he spoke to the people, his words were like thunder and lightning. By far, he was the best leader of his day, both for style and content. The old men noted a striking resemblance to Pisistratus in the way Pericles looked...
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