Question 1

True or false: Pericles’ funeral oration is one of the most famous defenses of democracy ever recorded.

Accepted Answer

True. Thucydides preserved this speech, which glorifies Athens’ democratic ideals, equality under law, and civic duty—a timeless tribute.

Question 2

True or false: Pericles commissioned the Parthenon as a symbol of Athenian democracy and power.

Accepted Answer

True. He oversaw the massive building program on the Acropolis, using Delian League funds to create the Parthenon, a bold statement of Athenian supremacy.

Question 3

True or false: Pericles died of the plague during the first year of the Peloponnesian War.

Accepted Answer

True. He succumbed to the devastating plague that struck Athens in 430 BCE, just two years into the war he had championed.

Question 4

True or false: Pericles was a king of Athens who led its golden age of art and culture.

Accepted Answer

False. Athens was a democracy, not a monarchy. Pericles was a leading statesman and general, never a king.

Question 5

True or false: Pericles was never elected to any office, ruling solely through personal influence.

Accepted Answer

False. He was repeatedly elected as one of the ten generals (strategos) in Athens, a formal office he held for nearly 30 years.

Question 6

True or false: Pericles introduced pay for public officials, allowing poor citizens to serve in government.

Accepted Answer

True. This radical democratic reform enabled non-wealthy Athenians to hold office, greatly expanding civic participation beyond the elite.

Question 7

True or false: Pericles was a close friend and student of the philosopher Socrates.

Accepted Answer

False. Socrates was born later and was a contemporary of Alcibiades, not Pericles. Their philosophies and circles were quite distinct.

Question 8

True or false: Pericles was the first Athenian leader to grant citizenship to the children of foreign women.

Accepted Answer

False. He actually passed a strict law in 451 BCE limiting citizenship only to those with two Athenian parents, reversing earlier practices.

Pericles Trivia Questions