Preston - The Age of Pericles

On the pediment of the Harris Museum in Preston is “The Age of Pericles” sculpted by Edwin Roscoe Millins (1848-1907)

Pericles, who is the central figures in this frieze, was an influential General, Statesman, Orator and Patron of the Arts.   The period he led Athens (4651 – 429 BC) is often referred to as the Age of Pericles.   The rest of the sculptures surrounding him are famous figures who all excelled in the fields Pericles promoted.

In order, from left to right, we have:

Historian: Thucydides       

Philosophers: Socrates, Zeno and Parmenides     

The Victor of the Games

Architect:  Ictinus          Famous for the Parthenon

Philosopher: Anaxagoras        

Pericles       “The first citizen of Athens”

Poet:  Pindar              

     

Sculptor, Painter, Architect:  Phidias                  

Chariot Horses

Playwrights: Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides 
  

Historian:  Herodotus          

The architecture of the whole building was designed to reflect a similar sentiment.  The architect James Hibbert (1882-1893) described it as “an endeavour to recall, uphold, and carry onward the tradition of Hellenic art.”  The building reflects a merging of ancient influences and modern buildings – a touch of Greece here, a bit of Roman Forum there, a sprinkle of the Berlin National theatre and a dash of Napoleon’s Tomb in Paris.   

Discover more buildings like these in the FREE tour of Preston Flag Market on www.obelisktours.co.uk