A few days before Pericles’ birth, his mother dreamed she gave birth to a lion. Symbolically, her son grew up to be a noble, magnanimous leader who sought the best for his people. He governed primarily in the time between the Persian and Peloponnesian wars, which allowed him to focus on promoting art, literature, and culture. Athens developed its reputation as a cultural center thanks to the “Age of Pericles,” which saw the construction of its most lasting monuments, including the Parthenon.