Reaching Up To The Skies - Golden Age Of Greece

The birth of the mother of all civilizations. This is how the golden age of Greece was marked and soon became the foundation of modern civilization. It was in this era that democracy was given a face. With democracy as the form of government and, notably, the wealth of the Athenian empire laid vast opportunities for many citizens to excel in arts, literature, drama, politics, and philosophy.

The golden age of Greece began with the purging of the Persian army by the Athenian phalanx ending the Persian war (546 – 479 BC), and ended with the disheartening and ignominious conflicts of the Peloponnesian war (431 – 404 BC). Athens was at the height of her glory having won in the war against the invading Persians and gaining foothold in most areas of Greece. This made her citizens extremely confident. Democracy also played a pivotal role in this because it opened doors to ordinary citizens (who had potentials but were suppressed by the nobles during the monarchical system) to share their opinions and ideas.

Also sometimes called the Periclean age, there was little social unrest during the golden age of Greece. The people were contented with how the government was run as well as with their participation in state affairs – only during this period that the ordinary citizens felt their opinions and existence mattered. Pericles was a leading statement who infused great ideas to the Athenian democracy, and was a general for 15 consecutive years. It was also Pericles who ordered the construction of the Parthenon, which was said to be a replacement of a temple destroyed by the Persians during the war. According to the great Greek biographer Plutarch, Pericles thought of building the Parthenon and surrounding temples in the Acropolis to address the growing unemployment and provide jobs to ordinary citizens: stonemasons, carpenters, painters, merchants, weavers, engravers, laborers, etc.

The birth of drama, one of the greatest innovations of the golden age of Greece, produced some of the world's greatest playwrights. The Greek theater became prominent which further paved way for literature and drama to flourish. The golden age of Greece also produced scions such as Socrates and Plato who introduced a different level of philosophy, which are still largely a part of philosophical studies today. Additionally, the golden age of Greece brought the establishment of the exceptional three-ordered system of Greek architecture: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.

It was indeed a golden age for Greece with achievements and advancements surmounting even with the differences of Athens and Sparta. However, like any other entity in this world, it had to come to an end and be replaced by a higher form of system. Like a totem pole, each period is a building block of what would be an almost perfect tomorrow.