Delian League
Delian League,modern name for the alliance formed 478/7 BC against the Persians. (‘Athenian empire’ might be a better title for this article, but not all students of imperialism admit that Athens had an empire in the full sense). In 478 the Greeks, led by the Spartan Pausanias, campaigned in Cyprus and secured Byzantium; but Pausanias abused his power and was recalled to Sparta. At the request of the allies, who pleaded Pausanias' behaviour and ‘Ionian (Greek) kinship’ (Thucydides 1. 95.1), Athens accepted leadership. The Peloponnesians acquiesced (some evidence suggests reluctance), and a new alliance was formed with its headquarters on the sacred island of Delos—a traditional Ionian festival centre but with an appeal to Dorian islanders also. Athens provided the commander of the allied forces and settled which cities were to provide ships and which money;...
[The entire page is 1528 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Oxford University Press Titles
