Who was Pericles?

Pericles was a prominent and influential Greek statesman, orator, and general during the Golden Age of Athens, particularly the time between the Persian and Peloponnesian wars. He was born in 495 BC and died in 429 BC. Pericles played a key role in the development of Athenian democracy and the Athenian empire, making significant contributions to the political and cultural supremacy of Athens.

His funeral oration during the Peloponnesian War helped inspire the Athenians:

…each single one of our citizens, in all the manifold aspects of life, is able to show himself the rightful lord and owner of his own person, and do this, moreover, with exceptional grace and exceptional versatility.