Athenian Empire — Characters

Ancient Greece — 478 to 404 B.C.

Formation of Delian League to End of Peloponnesian War


CharacterDate BC Short Biography

Arts and Literature

Aeschylus525–456 First of the three great Greek Tragedians. Wrote plays including the tragedies of Oedipus and Antigone.
Sophocles496–406 Wrote Greek Tragedies, including the tragedies of Agamemnon, Electra, and Orestes.
Euripides480–406 Third of the great Greek Tragedians. Wrote Alcestis, Medea, Orestes, Electra and many others.
Aristophanes448–388 Greatest of Greek Comedian playwrights. Wrote Frogs, Clouds, Peace, Birds, and many others.
Pindar518–438 Most famous of Greek Lyric Poets.
Phidias500–432 Built statues of Athene in the Parthenon and Jupiter at Olympia. Friend of Pericles.
Herodotus484–425 Wrote Histories of the Persian War and empires of the east.
Thucydides460–400 Historian of Peloponnesian War. An Athenian general sent into exile after he failed a mission.

Science and Philosophy

Anaxagoras500–428 First Great Philosopher of Athens, thought to be a teacher of Socrates.
Socrates469–399 First moral philosopher, immortalized by Plato.
Hippocrates460–377 Father of modern medicine. Set up medical school to train doctors by scientific methods.

Statesmen

Pericles499–429 Athenian statesman during Golden Age of Athens. Made Athens cultural center of Greece.
Aspasia~ 450 Foreign born courtesan, and wife of Pericles. Highly educated for a woman of her age.
Archidamus476–427 Spartan King during the early years of Peloponnesian War. Sought peace with Athens, but was forced into the war.
Artaxerxes I d. 424 King of Persia during early part of Peloponnesian War, allied with Sparta

Military

Cimond. 449 Athenian statesman and general. Fought Persians in Ionia after the war. Friend of Sparta.
Cleond. 422 War mongering politician, opposed Sparta's peace proposals.
Brasidasd. 422 Eloquent Spartan general, turned tide of Peloponnesian War in Sparta's favor. Died at Amphipolis.
Lysanderd. 395 Spartan naval Commander who defeated Athens in Peloponnesian War.
Gylippus~ 413 Lead the resistance in Syracuse that defeated Athenian forces during Peloponnesian War.
Alcibiades450–404 Controversial statesman and general of Athens, who betrayed the city, then returned as hero.
Niciasd. 413 After death of Pericles, emerged as leader of peace party. Led disastrous Sicilian Expedition.
Demosthenesd. 413 Important Athenian general in the Peloponnesian War. Perished at Syracuse.
Lamachusd. 415 Admiral who with Nicias and Alcibiades led the Sicilian Expedition. Died in early combat.