[[Image:Map athenian empire 431 BC-fr.svg|thumb|350px|Delian League (Athenian Empire), right before the [[Peloponnesian War]] in [[431 BC]].]]

The '''Delian League''' was an association of [[fifth century BC|fifth-century BC]] [[Greece|Greek]] [[city-state|city-states]] (approximately 150)<ref>{{cite book |last=Martin |first=Thomas |title=Ancient Greece: From Prehistoric to Hellenistic Times |publisher=Yale University Press |date=2001-08-11 |isbn=978-0300084931}}</ref> whose purpose was to continue fighting Persia after the Greek victory in the [[Battle of Plataea]]. According to [[Thucydides]] (1.96), the official aim of the League was to "avenge the wrongs they suffered by ravaging the territory of the king." In reality, this goal was divided into three main efforts - to prepare for future invasion, to seek revenge against Persia, and to organize a means of divvying spoils. League members swore to have the same friends and enemies, and dropped ingots of iron into the sea to symbolize the permanence of their alliance.

==History==
===Persian War===
In [[478 BCE]], following the defeat of [[Xerxes I of Persia|Xerxes']] invasion of Greece, [[Pausanias (general)|Pausanias]] the [[Sparta|Spartan]] led Hellenic forces against the [[Persian Empire|Persians]]. He was an unpopular commander (who may have conspired with the Persians), and although he was cleared of all accusations of conspiracy, Sparta, eager to stop prosecuting the war, decided to remain outside the war against Persia. Spartans were of the view that with the liberation of the Greek cities in Asia Minor, the war's purpose had already been reached; in this wise being opposed to the Athenians, who felt related to the Ionian Greeks, and wanted more than to free them: they wanted to continue the war in order to provide security to the Greeks in Asia Minor. In this way, Sparta surrendered the leadership of the ongoing campaign to [[Athens]], which was eager to accept it. Thus, the Delian League came under the military leadership of the Athenians. The justification for this was that Carystus was enjoying the advantages of the League (protection from pirates and the Persians) without taking on any of the responsibilities. Furthermore, Carystus was a traditional base for Persian occupations. Athenian politicians had to justify these acts to Athenian voters in order to get votes. The [[island]] of [[Naxos Island|Naxos]], a member of the Delian League, attempted to secede, and was enslaved; Naxos is believed to have been forced to tear down its walls, lose its fleet and its vote in the League.

[[Thucydides]] tells us that this is how Athens' control over the League grew.

{{cquote|Of all the causes of defection, that connected with arrears of tribute and vessels, and with failure of service, was the chief; for the Athenians were very severe and exacting, and made themselves offensive by applying the screw of necessity to men who were not used to and in fact not disposed for any continuous labor. In some other respects the Athenians were not the old popular rulers they had been at first; and if they had more than their fair share of service, it was correspondingly easy for them to reduce any that tried to leave the confederacy. The Athenians also arranged for the other members of the league to pay its share of the expense in money instead of in ships and men, and for this the subject city-states had themselves to blame, their wish to get out of giving service making most leave their homes. Thus while Athens was increasing her navy with the funds they contributed, a revolt always found itself without enough resources or experienced leaders for war.<ref>Thucydides i. 99</ref>}}

===Athenian Era===
In [[454 BCE]], Athens moved the treasury of the Delian League from Delos to Athens, allegedly to keep it safe from Persia. However, [[Plutarch]] indicates that many of [[Pericles]]' rivals viewed the transfer to Athens as usurping monetary resources to fund elaborate building projects. Athens also switched from accepting ships, men and weapons, to only accepting money. The new treasury established in Athens was used for many purposes, not all relating to the defense of members of the league. It was from tribute paid to the league that Pericles sent to build the [[Parthenon]] in the [[Acropolis of Athens|acropolis]], as well as many other non-defense related expenditures. Some claim that during this time the '''Athenian Empire''' arose, as the technical definition of ''empire'' is a group of cities paying taxes to a central, dominant city, while keeping local governments intact. The Delian League was turning from an alliance into an empire.

In 465 BCE Thasos revolted against the Delian League. After two years Thasos surrendered to Cimon. In result, the fortification walls of Thasos were torn down, their land and naval ships were confiscated by Athens. The mines of Thasos were also turned over to Athens and they had to pay yearly tribute and fines.

In [[461 BCE]], Cimon was [[ostracism|ostracized]], and was succeeded in his influence by democrats such as [[Ephialtes]] and Pericles. This signaled a complete change in Athenian foreign policy, neglecting the alliance with the Spartans and instead allying with her enemies, [[Argos]] and [[Thessaly]]. [[Megara]] deserted the Peloponnesian league and allied herself with Athens, allowing construction of a double line of walls across the isthmus of [[Corinth]], protecting Athens from attack from that quarter. Around the same time, due to encouragement from influential speaker [[Themistocles]], they also constructed the [[Long Walls]] connecting their city to the [[Piraeus]], its port, making it effectively invulnerable to attack by land.

===Peloponnesian war===
Soon war with the Peloponnesians broke out. In [[458 BCE]], the Athenians blockaded the island of [[Aegina]], and simultaneously defended Megara from the Corinthians by sending out an army composed of those too young or old for regular military service. The next year Sparta sent an army into [[Boeotia]], reviving the power of [[Thebes (Greece)|Thebes]] to help hold the Athenians in check. Their return was blocked, and they resolved to march on Athens, where the Long Walls were not yet completed, winning a victory at the [[Battle of Tanagra (457 BCE)|Battle of Tanagra]]. All this accomplished, however, was to allow them to return home via the Megarid. Two months later, the Athenians under [[Myronides]] invaded [[Boeotia]], and winning the [[battle of Oenophyta]] gained control of the whole country except Thebes.

===Persian War===
War with the Persians continued, however. In [[460 BCE]], [[Egypt]] had revolted under [[Inarus]] and [[Amyrtaeus]], who requested aid from Athens. Pericles led 250 ships, originally intended to attack [[Cyprus]], to their aid because it would hurt Persia. Persia's image had already been hurt when it failed to conquer the [[Greeks]] and Pericles wanted to further this. After four years, however, the rebellion was defeated by general [[Megabyzus]], who captured the greater part of the Athenian forces. In fact, according to Isocrates, the Athenians and their allies lost some 20,000 men in the expedition. The remainder escaped to [[Cyrene, Libya|Cyrene]] and thence returned home.

This was Athenians' main (public) reason for moving the treasury of the League from Delos to Athens, further consolidating their control over the League. The Persians followed up their victory by sending a fleet to re-establish their control over [[Cyprus]], and 200 ships were sent out to counter them under [[Cimon]], who returned from ostracism in [[451 BCE]]. He died during the blockade of [[Citium]], though the fleet won a double victory by land and sea over the Persians off [[Salamis, Cyprus|Salamis]].

This battle was the last major one fought against the Persians. Many writers report that a formal peace treaty, known as the [[Peace of Callias]], was formalized in [[450 BCE]], but some writers believe that the treaty was a myth created later to inflate the stature of Athens. However, an understanding was definitely reached, enabling the Athenians to focus their attention on events in Greece proper.

The peace with Persia, however, was followed by further reverses. The [[battle of Coronea (447 BCE)|Battle of Coronea]], in [[447 BCE]], led to the abandonment of Boeotia. [[Euboea]] and Megara both revolted, and while the former was restored to its status as a tributary ally, the latter was a permanent loss. The Delian and Peloponnesian Leagues signed a peace treaty, which was set to endure for thirty years. It only lasted until [[431 BC]], when the [[Peloponnesian War]] broke out.

Those who revolted unsuccessfully during the war saw the example made of the [[Mytilene|Mytilenians]], the principal people on Lesbos. After an unsuccessful revolt, the Athenians ordered the death of the entire male population. After some thought, they rescinded this order, and only put to death the leading 1000 ringleaders of the revolt, and redistributed the land of the entire island to Athenian shareholders, who were sent out to reside on Lesbos.

This type of treatment was not reserved solely for those who revolted. Thucydides documents the example of [[Melos]], a small island, neutral in the war, though originally founded by Spartans. The Melians were offered a choice to join the Athenians, or be conquered. Choosing to resist, their town was besieged and conquered; the males were put to death and the women sold into slavery (see [[Melian dialogue]]).

===Demise of the league===
The Delian League was never formally turned into the Athenian Empire; but by the start of the [[Peloponnesian War]], only [[Chios]] and [[Lesbos]] were left to contribute ships, and these states were by now far too weak to secede without support. Lesbos tried to revolt first, and failed completely. Chios, the greatest and most powerful of the original members of the Delian League (save Athens), was the last to revolt, and in the aftermath of the [[Syracusan Expedition]] enjoyed a success of several years, inspiring all of Ionia to revolt. Athens was, however, still able to eventually suppress these revolts.

The Athenian Empire was not very stable, and only 27 years of war with the Spartans, aided by the Persians and internal strife, were able to defeat it. The Athenian Empire did not stay defeated for long. The [[Second Athenian Empire]], a maritime self-defense league, was founded in [[377 BCE]] and was led by Athens; but Athens would never recover the full extent of her power, and her enemies were now far stronger and more varied.

==See also==
*[[Athenian democracy]]
*[[Hellenic civilization]]
*[[Peloponnesian War]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.livius.org Livius], [http://www.livius.org/de-dh/delian_league/delian_league.html Delian League] by Jona Lendering

[[Category:477 BC establishments]]
[[Category:Military history of Ancient Greece]]
[[Category:History of Athens]]
[[Category:Military alliances]]

[[ar:الاتحاد الديلي]]
[[bg:Делоски морски съюз]]
[[ca:Lliga de Delos]]
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[[es:Confederación de Delos]]
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[[ja:デロス同盟]]
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