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highly improbable, but
his supposed role in the reforms introduced in 462 B.C. is equally hypothetical. 54
When they deny Ephialtes the status of a protagonist, it is in truth the Athenian
people that the ancient authors are leaving in the shadows so as to focus exclusively
on the dazzling aura surrounding the great man. It was not until the 450s—or even
the early 440s—that Pericles truly set his mark on Athenian political life. It was
only after this gradual entry into political life that he began to be elected stratēgos on a regular basis.
CHAPTER 2
The Bases of Periclean Power: The Stratēgos
“P ericles son of Xanthippus, the foremost man of the Athenians at that time, wielding
greatest influence both in speech and in action, came forward and advised them.” 1 Those are the words with which the historian Thucydides introduces the Athenian leader
at the moment when, in 431 B.C., the city is about to engage in war against Sparta.
At this point, the historian defines the two domains that constitute the basis of
the superiority of a statesman: speech and action. And it was indeed as an orator
in the Assembly, expert in handling logos , and as a stratēgos in warfare, well accustomed to military command, that Pericles dominated Athenian
political life for twenty or so years.
Military leader and orator: those are the two indissociable aspects of Periclean power.
They rest upon a common basis, the office of a stratēgos . It was as a stratēgos , reelected time after time, that Pericles led the Athenians in warfare, showered
with all the laurels of military glory; and it was also as a stratēgos that he was in a position to participate in the deliberations of the Council, influence
its decisions and, in its name, propose the decrees that were then submitted to the
vote in the Athenian Assembly.
Let us begin by shedding some light upon the institutional and military mainsprings
of Pericles’ authority. After describing the function of a stratēgos and considering the reasons why the role played by this office was so crucial in
Athens, it will be necessary to analyze the way in which Pericles set up a veritable
policy for glory, even to the point of singing the praises of his own successes. His
valor as head of the army and navy was, however, contested by his political opponents.
It has to be said that the stratēgos had elaborated a new military ethos that to some extent broke away from the heroic
ideal peculiar to members of the Athenian elite. Throughout his life, Pericles refused
to engage in warfare unless it was absolutely necessary, even at the risk of being
accused of cowardice by his opponents. This rule of behavior was applied in the most
spectacular fashion at the start of the PeloponnesianWar, when Pericles persuaded the Athenians to take refuge inside the town without
doing battle with the Peloponnesian hoplites. It was certainly an effective strategy,
but it was swiftly challenged.
T HE R EELECTED S TRATĒGOS : A P OPULAR M AGISTRATE
The Function of Stratēgos
The office of stratēgos , created right at the end of the sixth century, in 501–500, rapidly became the essential
magistracy of classical Athens. The way that it operated was closely linked with the
isonomic regime set in place by the reforms of Cleisthenes. The stratēgoi made up a college of ten magistrates, one for each tribe, and each elected for one
year ( Constitution of the Athenians , 22.2–3). Their number and their designation therefore depended closely upon the
new organization of the civic body into the ten tribes that had been created in 508/7.
Usually, the stratēgoi were recruited from among the well-to-do citizens; and the simple reason for this
was that, to have a chance of being elected, one had to be capable of winning the
confidence of the Athenians and this involved a certain degree of education, which
was, by definition, costly. All the same, nowhere
his supposed role in the reforms introduced in 462 B.C. is equally hypothetical. 54
When they deny Ephialtes the status of a protagonist, it is in truth the Athenian
people that the ancient authors are leaving in the shadows so as to focus exclusively
on the dazzling aura surrounding the great man. It was not until the 450s—or even
the early 440s—that Pericles truly set his mark on Athenian political life. It was
only after this gradual entry into political life that he began to be elected stratēgos on a regular basis.
CHAPTER 2
The Bases of Periclean Power: The Stratēgos
“P ericles son of Xanthippus, the foremost man of the Athenians at that time, wielding
greatest influence both in speech and in action, came forward and advised them.” 1 Those are the words with which the historian Thucydides introduces the Athenian leader
at the moment when, in 431 B.C., the city is about to engage in war against Sparta.
At this point, the historian defines the two domains that constitute the basis of
the superiority of a statesman: speech and action. And it was indeed as an orator
in the Assembly, expert in handling logos , and as a stratēgos in warfare, well accustomed to military command, that Pericles dominated Athenian
political life for twenty or so years.
Military leader and orator: those are the two indissociable aspects of Periclean power.
They rest upon a common basis, the office of a stratēgos . It was as a stratēgos , reelected time after time, that Pericles led the Athenians in warfare, showered
with all the laurels of military glory; and it was also as a stratēgos that he was in a position to participate in the deliberations of the Council, influence
its decisions and, in its name, propose the decrees that were then submitted to the
vote in the Athenian Assembly.
Let us begin by shedding some light upon the institutional and military mainsprings
of Pericles’ authority. After describing the function of a stratēgos and considering the reasons why the role played by this office was so crucial in
Athens, it will be necessary to analyze the way in which Pericles set up a veritable
policy for glory, even to the point of singing the praises of his own successes. His
valor as head of the army and navy was, however, contested by his political opponents.
It has to be said that the stratēgos had elaborated a new military ethos that to some extent broke away from the heroic
ideal peculiar to members of the Athenian elite. Throughout his life, Pericles refused
to engage in warfare unless it was absolutely necessary, even at the risk of being
accused of cowardice by his opponents. This rule of behavior was applied in the most
spectacular fashion at the start of the PeloponnesianWar, when Pericles persuaded the Athenians to take refuge inside the town without
doing battle with the Peloponnesian hoplites. It was certainly an effective strategy,
but it was swiftly challenged.
T HE R EELECTED S TRATĒGOS : A P OPULAR M AGISTRATE
The Function of Stratēgos
The office of stratēgos , created right at the end of the sixth century, in 501–500, rapidly became the essential
magistracy of classical Athens. The way that it operated was closely linked with the
isonomic regime set in place by the reforms of Cleisthenes. The stratēgoi made up a college of ten magistrates, one for each tribe, and each elected for one
year ( Constitution of the Athenians , 22.2–3). Their number and their designation therefore depended closely upon the
new organization of the civic body into the ten tribes that had been created in 508/7.
Usually, the stratēgoi were recruited from among the well-to-do citizens; and the simple reason for this
was that, to have a chance of being elected, one had to be capable of winning the
confidence of the Athenians and this involved a certain degree of education, which
was, by definition, costly. All the same, nowhere
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