The main leader of Athens at the time was a general named Pericles. Pericles was known as the "First Citizen" of Athens. He had a dream of Athens as the most beautiful and perfect city of the time. To help make this dream come true, he rebuilt the palaces and temples on the Acropolis. It took 11 years to build the Parthenon, the temple of the goddess of Athena. Much of this building was done with the money that belonged to the Delian league.