In his seminal History of the Peloponnesian War , Thucydides provides a complex and often debated portrait of Pericles and the Athenian Empire. While traditionally seen as an admirer, Thucydides’ narrative reveals a deeper tension between Pericles’ idealistic rhetoric and the harsh realities of "Periclean Imperialism".
Thucydides, Pericles, and Periclean Imperialism - eclass UoA Thucydides, Pericles, and Periclean Imperialism
Pericles presented the Athenian Empire not merely as a collection of subjects, but as a "monument to the virtue and daring of her citizens". In his seminal History of the Peloponnesian War