Pericles; Life, Death, and Oratory

Pericles was born 495BC in Athens. He was born into a family of the noblest lineages. His father Xanthippus and mother Agariste.

It was said that when he was born his body was perfect except one thing; his head was out of proportion. When his portrait was painted, the painter insisted on painting him wearing a helmet.

One person who impacted the life of Pericles was Damon, the music teacher.
Although to many, Damon appeared just to be Pericles’ music teacher, he was in fact Pericles’ political tutor.

When he was a boy, he did not speak in public because he had a distinct resemblance to Pisistratus, the tyrant. Although, when he was a grown man he was nicknamed ‘The Olympian’, and every time he addressed an audience he was said to be wielding a terrible thunderbolt in his tongue. Pericles did not waste his breath on meaningless conversations and questions. When he rose from his seat to address a topic of great importance he uttered a prayer that every word tha...