The Greek military victories at Marathon, Salamis and Plataia during the Persian Wars profoundly shaped fifth-century politics and culture. According to a long tradition, the winners celebrated their release by dedicating thanksgiving donations to the sanctuaries of their gods, and the Athenians erected at least ten new temples and other buildings. Since these buildings were at some stage of construction during Pericles' political dominance, in the third quarter of the fifth century modern authors refer to them collectively as Periclean's building program. In "Trophies of Victory," T. Leslie Schear, Jr., who directed archaeological excavations in the Athenian Agora for more than twenty-five years.