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==The Athenian Empire==

While Pericles may have been a democrat and was a passionate advocate of freedom, he was also paradoxically an imperialist, who advocated the conquest and coercion of other city-states and peoples. From an early date, he advocated an aggressive foreign policy. His ability to dominate the politics of Athens meant that it became an imperialist power, although it must be remembered that the conservatives also supported foreign conquests. However, Pericles was a crucial player in the transformation of the Delian League into a de-facto Athenian Empire. He was the driving force behind the standardization of coinage and weights in the Empire and was determined that the former allies were completely dependent on Athens. Initially, the Delian League was a league dominated by Athens, but Pericles turned it into a formal Empire. This was crucial in the growth and development of the city. However, it alarmed many other Greek city-states and it led to a growing suspicion of Pericles and the Athenians, which was one of the root causes of the Second Peloponnesian War.

==Periclean Athens==

Pericles was a very cultured man and was widely read in philosophy. His consort, the remarkable Aspasia, was also a very cultured woman, who introduced him to the latest ideas and was also an accomplished writer. Pericles was an early humanist and believed in the dignity and the perfectibility of men and women. He held that the arts and culture were essential and could promote improvements in individual citizens and in the wider society. This was why Pericles sought to democratize culture and enabled ordinary citizens to attend cultural events such as the theatre. Moreover, he was an enthusiastic patron of the arts, education, and culture. In one famous speech, he professed the ambition that Athens ‘be the education of Greece’ <ref> Thucydides, 2. 37.2 </ref>. That is, he wanted the city-state to be the cultural center of the Greek world and this, was indeed the case, in the Fifth Century BC. The statesman used his influence to persuade the city’s magistrates to spend civic funds on cultural and artistic projects. Pericles used the treasures of the Athenian Empire to finance many remarkable architectural projects such as the Acropolis, The Parthenon and The Temple of Nike. The plastic arts also flourished and one of the world’s greatest sculptor Phidias worked in Athens during the Periclean Golden Age. The Age of Pericles was also, crucial in the history of theatre. The great tragedians, Euripides, Sophocles, and Aeschylus all worked in Athens, as did the great comic playwright, Aristophanes. Pericles was very liberal-minded for the time and believed in freedom of thought and expression. This made Athens a center of philosophy, and during his lifetime philosophers such as Anaxagoras, Protagoras, Zeno, and the great Socrates all felt free to speculate on the ultimate questions in Periclean Athens. Socrates is regarded as the founder of Western Philosophy. While it seems likely that Athens would have experienced a cultural flourishing after the defeat of the Persians it would not have been as remarkable without the patronage and support of Pericles<ref> Azoulay, Vincent. Pericles of Athens (Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2017), p 113</ref>.