Perikles' Policies
The Citizenship Law (451 BC)
The Citizenship Law was altered such that it would only be conferred upon children whose mother and father were both Athenians, thus making the citizens see themselves as the elite residents of Athens.
Citizen women had less rights than men as they were excluded from politics. They had to have a male legal guardian (kurios), who would speak for them in court and was responsible for them. This was normally their husband or their father. However, they could still control property and have their financial interests protected in law suits. They were also entitled to the equal protection of the law, regardless of their wealth.
Citizen women had less rights than men as they were excluded from politics. They had to have a male legal guardian (kurios), who would speak for them in court and was responsible for them. This was normally their husband or their father. However, they could still control property and have their financial interests protected in law suits. They were also entitled to the equal protection of the law, regardless of their wealth.
Foreign Policy
Perikles' foreign policy encompassed joint aims: continued military action against the Persian presence in Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean, and greater attention paid to relations and disputes with and between other Greek city-states. This success was severely limited.
The campaign to liberate Egypt from the Persians ended with the loss of two hundred ships and their crews in 454 BC. In response to this, the Athenians sent Cimon, who had recently returned from his ostracism, with a major force to gain control of Cyprus. However, when he was killed in 450 BC, the Athenians decided to send no further expeditions against the Persians.
Following the rebuff of Cimon's reinforcements for Sparta against the helots in 462 BC, hostilities with Sparta and its allies had become more and more frequent. Following indecisive battles in the early 440s BC, Perikles engineered a peace treaty in 445 BC. It was designed to maintain the current balance of powers in Greece for thirty years, thus preserving Athenian dominance in the Delian League.
Peace quickly broke down. In 443 BC, Perikles' biggest rival, Thucydides, was ostracised. This meant that Perikles was elected as strategos for fifteen consecutive years. However, he was criticised for the way in which he handled the revolt of Samos (441 BC - 439 BC). He chose a military response to the revolt and the struggle lasted three campaigning seasons, with heavy losses on both sides. The Spartans threatened war on the Athenians due to their support of rebellious allies.
The campaign to liberate Egypt from the Persians ended with the loss of two hundred ships and their crews in 454 BC. In response to this, the Athenians sent Cimon, who had recently returned from his ostracism, with a major force to gain control of Cyprus. However, when he was killed in 450 BC, the Athenians decided to send no further expeditions against the Persians.
Following the rebuff of Cimon's reinforcements for Sparta against the helots in 462 BC, hostilities with Sparta and its allies had become more and more frequent. Following indecisive battles in the early 440s BC, Perikles engineered a peace treaty in 445 BC. It was designed to maintain the current balance of powers in Greece for thirty years, thus preserving Athenian dominance in the Delian League.
Peace quickly broke down. In 443 BC, Perikles' biggest rival, Thucydides, was ostracised. This meant that Perikles was elected as strategos for fifteen consecutive years. However, he was criticised for the way in which he handled the revolt of Samos (441 BC - 439 BC). He chose a military response to the revolt and the struggle lasted three campaigning seasons, with heavy losses on both sides. The Spartans threatened war on the Athenians due to their support of rebellious allies.