Periclean

American  

[per-i-klee-uhn] / ˌpɛr ɪˈkli ən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Pericles or to the period Periclean Age when Athens was intellectually, artistically, and materially preeminent.

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Periclean British  

/ ˌpɛrɪˈkliːən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Pericles or to the period when Athens was the intellectual and artistic leader of the Greek city-states

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Etymology

Origin of Periclean

First recorded in 1815–25; Pericle(s) + -an

Example Sentences

Periclean Athens really was the site of a magnificently new form of political life among equals, though not one free of exploitation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

“Every generation, going back to Periclean Greece, to second century Rome, to the Enlightenment, to the Georgians and to the Victorians, believes itself to be the most anxious age ever,” Mr. Stossel said.

From New York Times • Jun. 10, 2017

The philosopher Ernst Block compared Weimar Germany to Periclean Athens of the fifth century BCE: a time of cultural thriving, sovereign self-governance, and increased social and political equality.

From Salon • Jan. 15, 2017

The introduction of direct democracy, a form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives, was an important legacy of Periclean Athens.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2012

When many people think of the Periclean age in Athens, their image is often suffused by the pure light of reason—a rationalism that seems as clean and bright as the city’s marble remains.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro