Why Was Athens Called "the School of Hellas?"

After several passages where he praises Athens and its people in his oration, Pericles says, "In short, I say that as a city we are the school of Hellas..."

Athenian society of the time (roughly 450 to 399 BCE) valued education for boys highly, and their reputation for a high standard of education made the comparison a natural one. Most boys, even from poor families, went to school from ages seven to 14 and learned grammar, music and gymnastics.