The Visionary City-State of Callipolis: A Utopian Dream of Ancient Athens

Callipolis (Greek: Καλλίπολις) was a proposed city-state that was to be established in the 5th century BC by the Athenian statesman Pericles. The purpose of Callipolis was to create a new, idealized society that would be a model for other cities to follow.

The idea of Callipolis was first proposed by Pericles in his speech "On the Murmurs of the People," in which he argued that the Athenians should found a new city that would be a symbol of their power and prosperity. The city was to be built on the plain of Brauron, near Athens, and was to be designed with the intention of creating a society that was more just and equal than any other city of its time.

According to Plato's dialogue "The Laws," Callipolis was to be governed by a group of wise and virtuous rulers who would make decisions based on the common good rather than their own self-interest. The city was also to have a unique system of government, in which the rulers were to be chosen by lottery rather than election.

Despite the ambitious plans for Callipolis, it was never actually built during Pericles' lifetime. However, the idea of the idealized society that he proposed has had a lasting influence on Western political thought and has been the subject of much philosophical and historical debate.