How Did Athens Change Over Time

In the 5th century, the capital city of Greece, Athens, when through a period of transformation in which it took a major shift forwards in its change in political structure, upwards economic prosperity, and cultural and artistic blooming. This period was called the Golden Age of Athens. This golden age would later be eponymously called The Age of Pericles, after the politician and general who rose to power during that time. It was during this century in Ancient Greece where Athens is the centre of attention. This new age was of even greater prosperity, in culture, in the arts, in social innovations, in its military, in developing democracy to its classical form it is known today. Pericles was born in Athens, at around 495 BC. He was the descendant …show more content…
He is very popular and charismatic so he was constantly re-elected without much resistance from the people of Athens. One of the first major change was a reform instituted on the concept of democracy, which at the time was at its infant stage. This new form of democracy--some called radical democracy-- allowed the people themselves had a say in regards to matters of politics, instead of having to first consent with officials of higher positions (Kagan, 1998). Athens in this fifth century was said to be at its peak due to the ruling of Pericles. Firstly, one of the most important changes on Athens was on the heliaia which was the supreme court, and on the boule which was a council made up of about 400 to 500 people (Olejnik, 2010; Howard, 2010). The boule now gained judicial functions which previously only the supreme court had control over (Howard, 2010). This change enabled the citizens of Athens to participate in political matters more easily and readily. They now have a higher level of authority than they previously had. Previously, a big problem for people occupying these positions was that there was no pay for doing any work. This would unsurprisingly lead to laziness and sloppiness in their work. As a result, Pericles incentivise these jobs by bringing forth payment for doing work. This law …show more content…
He has encouraged people to be involved in creative works. He even oversaw a production of a play, Persians, by Aeschylus (Kagan, 1998). Pericles' enthusiasm, promotion and support for people of the arts attracted creative people from all over Greece to Athens where it became a place rich in culture and artistry (Kagan, 1998; Morris, 2005). Pericles introduced plans to aesthetically transform Athens in 447 BC and this was the Periclean building program (Martin, 1996). Against some opposition due to funding using allied state funds, Pericles had allocated a substantial amount of money to adorn the buildings of Athens with architectural innovation and beauty (Olejnik, 2010; Kagan, 1998). The two noted examples of these buildings are the Acropolis and the Parthenon within it. Although there is an acropolis in almost every Greek state, the one in Athens is the most notable. It has been the focus of Ancient Greece for times to come. The Acropolis is a citadel that sits on top of an elevated land (Mark, 2009). Within this citadel are various buildings such as the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Propylaia, and the Temple of Athena Nike. It is where discourse and debates on philosophy, matters on politics, and so on were conducted. More importantly to the Athenians, it was a place where the gods were worshipped. The