The death of Pericles
429 BCEAthens
2,454 years ago
Pericles died of the plague in 429 BCE, having lived through the first two and a half years of the Peloponnesian War.
He himself died of the plague later in the year.
He remained in power until his death in 429 BC.
Pericles lived during the first two and a half years of the Peloponnesian War
From Wikipedia, Pericles (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-27.
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The last year
In 430 BCE Sparta’s army looted Attica again; Pericles kept his strategy and led 100 ships to raid the Peloponnese.
In 430 BC, the army of Sparta looted Attica for a second time, but Pericles was not daunted and refused to revise his initial strategy.
Unwilling to engage the Spartan army in battle, he again led a naval expedition to plunder the coasts of the Peloponnese, this time taking 100 Athenian ships with him.
From Wikipedia, Pericles (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-27.
In the summer of 430 BCE an epidemic devastated the Athenians; what the disease was is still uncertain.
In 430 BC, the army of Sparta looted Attica for a second time
In the summer of the same year an epidemic broke out and devastated the Athenians. The exact identity of the disease is uncertain
From Wikipedia, Pericles (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-27.
The epidemic stirred new public uproar, and Pericles defended himself in a final speech, a version of which Thucydides gives.
In any case, the city's plight, caused by the epidemic, triggered a new wave of public uproar, and Pericles was forced to defend himself in an emotional final speech, a rendition of which is presented by Thucydides.
From Wikipedia, Pericles (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-27.
His enemies had him stripped of the generalship and fined, by estimates between 15 and 50 talents; ancient sources name Cleon as prosecutor.
but his internal enemies' final bid to undermine him came off; they managed to deprive him of the generalship and to fine him at an amount estimated between 15 and 50 talents.
Ancient sources mention Cleon, a rising and dynamic protagonist of the Athenian political scene during the war, as the public prosecutor in Pericles's trial.
From Wikipedia, Pericles (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-27.
In 429 BCE the Athenians forgave Pericles and re-elected him general.
in 429 BC, the Athenians not only forgave Pericles but also re-elected him as strategos.
From Wikipedia, Pericles (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-27.
His death
In 429 BCE both his legitimate sons, Paralus and Xanthippus, died in the epidemic; according to Plutarch, he wept copiously.
in 429 BC, the Athenians not only forgave Pericles
In that year, however, Pericles witnessed in the epidemic the death of both Paralus and Xanthippus, his legitimate sons from his first wife.
According to Plutarch, Pericles was overwhelmed with grief and wept copiously for his loss.
From Wikipedia, Pericles (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-27.
Just before his death, the Athenians made Pericles the Younger, his son with Aspasia, a citizen and legitimate heir.
Just before his death, the Athenians allowed a change in the law of 451 BC that made his half-Athenian son with Aspasia, Pericles the Younger, a citizen, and legitimate heir
From Wikipedia, Pericles (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-27.
He died of the plague himself later in 429 BCE.
He himself died of the plague later in the year.
He remained in power until his death in 429 BC.
From Wikipedia, Pericles (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-27.
When friends at his bedside listed his nine war trophies, he said they forgot his greatest title: "no living Athenian ever put on mourning because of me".
Just before his death, Pericles's friends were concentrated around his bed, enumerating his virtues during peace and underscoring his nine war trophies.
pointing out that they forgot to mention his fairest and greatest title to their admiration; "for", said he, "no living Athenian ever put on mourning because of me".
From Wikipedia, Pericles (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-27.
Afterwards
According to Thucydides, his death was a disaster for Athens: his successors were inferior and sought popularity over usefulness.
according to Thucydides, his death was a disaster for Athens, since his successors were inferior to him; they preferred to incite all the bad habits of the rabble and followed an unstable policy, endeavouring to be popular rather than useful.
From Wikipedia, Pericles (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-27.
Ben X. de Wet concludes that Pericles’ war strategy would have succeeded had he lived longer.
For his part, Ben X. de Wet concludes his strategy would have succeeded had he lived longer.
From Wikipedia, Pericles (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-27.
Pausanias (c. 150 CE) records seeing the tomb of Pericles along a road near the Academy.
Pausanias (c. 150 AD) records (I.29) seeing the tomb of Pericles along a road near the Academy.
From Wikipedia, Pericles (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-27.
Related
Events
- 431 BCEThebans attack Plataea and the war begins
- 431 BCESpartan army invades Attica
- 430 BCEPlague breaks out in Athens
- 431/430 BCEAthens holds a public funeral for its first war dead
Words about it
Every line here is ours, written from Wikipedia, Pericles (opens en.wikipedia.org) (text CC BY-SA 4.0) and checked line by line against the sentences it cites. Where Wikipedia relies on Plutarch or another ancient writer, so do we, and we say so.