The Golden Age of Greece

        The period beginning with the glorious victory of the Greeks over imperialistic Persia in the Persian War (546-479 B.C.), and ending with the ignominious civil conflicts of the Peloponnesian  War (431-404 B.C.) is frequently called the "Golden Age of Greece" because during this time, the city states of the Greek peninsula attained a high level of culture and political stability.  Also sometimes called the "Periclean Age," after Pericles, Athens' leading statesman of the time, the period is characterized by tremendous accomplishments in the areas of government, drama, poetry, art and philosophy.

        It was during this time that democracy was born in Athens, that the Greek theatre produced some of its greatest playwrights, and that philosophers such as Socrates and Plato challenged man's thought processes.  During this era, Greece also produced architectural phenomena such as the Parthenon and art and sculpture that has been admired over the centuries.  The polytheistic society of the day also made advances in poetry, science and medicine, and recorded history.

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