Editing Pericles (section)

=== Political leadership ===
[[Image:AGMA Ostrakon Périclès.jpg|thumb|right|An [[ostracon]] with Pericles' name written on it (c. 444–443 BC), Museum of the ancient [[Agora of Athens]]]]

Some contemporary scholars call Pericles a populist, a demagogue and a hawk,<ref name="Ruden">S. Ruden, ''Lysistrata'', 80</ref> while other scholars admire his charismatic leadership. According to Plutarch, after assuming the leadership of Athens, "he was no longer the same man as before, nor alike submissive to the people and ready to yield and give in to the desires of the multitude as a steersman to the breezes".<ref name="Pl15">Plutarch, ''Pericles'', [[s:Lives/Pericles#15|XV]]</ref> It is told that when his political opponent, Thucydides, was asked by Sparta's king, Archidamus, whether he or Pericles was the better fighter, Thucydides answered without any hesitation that Pericles was better, because even when he was defeated, he managed to convince the audience that he had won.<ref name="Helios" /> In matters of character, Pericles was above reproach in the eyes of the ancient historians, since "he kept himself untainted by corruption, although he was not altogether indifferent to money-making".<ref name="Pl6" />

Thucydides (the historian), an admirer of Pericles, maintains that Athens was "in name a democracy but, in fact, governed by its first citizen".<ref name="Thuc65" /> Through this comment, the historian illustrates what he perceives as Pericles' charisma to lead, convince and, sometimes, to manipulate. Although Thucydides mentions the fining of Pericles, he does not mention the accusations against Pericles but instead focuses on Pericles' integrity.{{efn-lg|Vlachos criticizes the historian for this omission and maintains that Thucydides' admiration for the Athenian statesman makes him ignore not only the well-grounded accusations against him but also the mere gossips, namely the allegation that Pericles had corrupted the volatile rabble, so as to assert himself.<ref name="Vl62">A. Vlachos, ''Thucydides' bias'', 62</ref>}}<ref name="Thuc65"/> On the other hand, in one of his dialogues, [[Plato]] rejects the glorification of Pericles and declares: "as I know, Pericles made the Athenians slothful, garrulous and avaricious, by starting the system of public fees".<ref name="Gorgias515">[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0178%3Atext%3DGorg.%3Asection%3D515e Plato, ''Gorgias'']</ref>
Plutarch mentions other criticism of Pericles' leadership: "many others say that the people were first led on by him into allotments of public lands, festival-grants, and distributions of fees for public services, thereby falling into bad habits, and becoming luxurious and wanton under the influence of his public measures, instead of frugal and self-sufficing".<ref name="Plutarch IX"/>

Thucydides argues that Pericles "was not carried away by the people, but he was the one guiding the people".<ref name="Thuc65" /> His judgement is not unquestioned; some 20th-century critics, such as Malcolm F. McGregor and John S. Morrison, proposed that he may have been a charismatic public face acting as an advocate on the proposals of advisors, or the people themselves.<ref name="McG">M.F. McGregor, ''Government in Athens'', 122–123.</ref><ref name="Morrison76-77">J.S. Morrison-[[A. W. Gomme]], ''Pericles Monarchos'', 76–77.</ref> According to King, by increasing the power of the people, the Athenians left themselves with no authoritative leader. During the Peloponnesian War, Pericles' dependence on popular support to govern was obvious.<ref name="King24" />