Periklean Circle

I wanted to ask you something. Which is... what's your name? This article title is conjecture. Although the article subject is canon, no official name for it has been given.

The Periklean Circle was a group comprising several intellectuals who were affiliated with the Athenian statesman Perikles. Originally consisting of Perikles' closest friends and colleagues, the group later came to include the misthios Kassandra, whom Herodotos had met at the Sanctuary of Delphi.

The group's members played a pivotal role in the restoration of democracy to Athens following Perikles' death and the takeover of his political rival Kleon, secretly a Sage of the Cult of Kosmos. Through their machinations, the Periklean Circle was able to undermine Kleon's popularity among the people, leading to a social uprising against his rule, which came to an end once Kleon was slain during the Battle of Amphipolis.

History

After Perikles' death at the hands of Deimos during the Plague of Athens in 429 BCE, his opponent Kleon, a demagogue politician and member of the Cult of Kosmos, took power in Athens, and the Periklean Circle was seemingly disbanded.

Between 425 and 424 BCE, the group reconvened and worked with the misthios Kassandra, who had been imprisoned by Kleon, to discredit him. After freeing Kassandra from prison, the members of the Periklean Circle met at Perikles' Residence and discussed strategies to tarnish Kleon's reputation, believing that without the people's support, Kleon's reign over Athens would come to an end and democracy would be restored.

Over the course of several months, Kassandra helped Sokrates to expose Kleon's lies regarding the revolt of Mytilene, assisted Aristophanes in organizing The Knights, a play which criticized the Athenian ruler, and assassinated Rhexenor, a Cultist who served under Kleon as a strategos. Thanks to the group's efforts, Kleon's popularity rapidly declined, and he was forced to leave Athens and head to Amphipolis to try and recapture the city from Spartan control.

Following the deaths of Cleon—courtesy of Kassandra—and the Spartan general Brasidas at the Battle of Amphipolis, the Periklean Circle, with Nicias as its spokesman, spearheaded the proposal of Athens engaging Sparta in peace talks. Their efforts proved successful, heralding the end of the first half of the Peloponnesian War, whereupon the members of the Circle met in Athens to celebrate their victory.

Members

• 
  Alkibiades
• 
  Anaxagoras
• 
  Aristophanes
• 
  Aspasia
• 
  Barnabas
• 
  Euripides
• 
  Herodotos
• 
  Hippokrates
• 
  Kassandra
• 
  Nicias
• 
  Perikles
• 
  Phidias
• 
  Protagoras
• 
  Sokrates
• 
  Sophokles
• 
  Thucydides

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Odyssey novel
• Assassin's Creed: Rebellion (mentioned in Database entry only)

References

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