Abstract
This chapter examines the role that Pericles played in the establishment of Athenian imperialism. It asks whether Pericles tried to check the imperial dynamic or whether he acted as its catalyst, and whether it is possible to speak already of Athenian imperialism at the time when Pericles was exercising a decisive influence on the destiny of the city. The discussion begins with an analysis of Pericles' role in the Delian League's development and its transformation into an empire. The chapter then considers Pericles' cruelty in crushing the revolts of the allied cities, as is shown by the expulsion of the Aeginetans during the Peloponnesian War in 431. It also explores Pericles' efforts to lend legitimacy to the power of Athens by means of monuments that gave material expression to the city's new imperial status, the most famous of which was the Parthenon.
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