Discover Pericles' Secrets: Top 5 Entertaining Facts About Athens' Greatest Leader

1. "Sea Onion-Head" Surprises

Whoever said "two heads are better than one" clearly hadn't met Pericles, Athens' beloved, big-headed statesman: Known for his unusually large noggin, even poets of his time nicknamed him "sea onion-head," and statues of him would always portray him sporting a fetching helmet, which not only represented his Athenian general status, but also helped hide his cranial peculiarity.
Source => history.com

2. Socrates Ghosting Pericles?

Before sliding into DMs was a thing, Pericles had an epic Athenian phone book of philosopher friends—but wait, was Socrates ghosting him?: While Pericles was chummy with great thinkers like Anaxagoras, there isn't any historical evidence to suggest that he and Socrates were BFFs during his reign in the Golden Age of Athens.
Source => research-bulletin.chs.harvard.edu

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3. Athena's Dating Profile Makeover

Before Zeus swiped right on Athena, Pericles had already given the goddess of wisdom a monumental makeover suitable for a deity's dating profile: Pericles commissioned his pal Phidias to spearhead the reconstruction of the Acropolis, adding the awe-inspiring Athena Prómakhos, Pallas Athena Lemnia, and gold-covered Athena Parthenos statues to their solid friendship résumé.
Source => arsartisticadventureofmankind.wordpress.com

4. Pericles: Secret Financial Superhero

If Pericles were alive today, he'd be the CEO who builds breathtaking skyscrapers while secretly snooping into your office party expenditure: The Athenian leader was celebrated for managing finances like a maestro, splurging on public architecture and artistic treats, yet meticulously auditing every drachma with a watchful eye, all while cunningly maximizing his grip on power.
Source => jstor.org

5. Ancient Greek Power Couple Vibes

Move over, Kim and Kanye, there's a power couple from ancient Greece that knew a thing or two about making waves: Aspasia of Miletus wasn't just Pericles' better half, but also a much-admired scholar and philosopher. This brainy beauty contributed heavily to Athenian culture and even caught the attention of big names like Plato and Socrates. Aspasia leveraged her intellect and charm to open a school of philosophy and rhetoric for young women, shaping Pericles’s impressive oratory style and inspiring his famous 430 B.C.E. Funeral Oration.
Source => brooklynmuseum.org