The Delian League was an association of fifth-century BC Greek city-states (approximately 150)[1] under the leadership of Athens, whose purpose was to continue fighting Persia after the Greek victory in the Battle of Plataea. The 5th century BC started the first day of 500 BC and ended the last day of 401 BC. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία A city-state is a Region controlled exclusively by a City, usually having Sovereignty. The city of Athens during Classical antiquity was a notable Polis ( City-state) of Attica, Greece, leading the The Battle of Plataea was the final major Battle of the Greco-Persian Wars in southern Greece. According to Thucydides (1. Thucydides ( C 460 BC &ndash C 395 BC) ( Greek Θουκυδίδης Thoukydídēs) was a Greek 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 dividing spoils of war. 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.
Contents |
History
Persian War
In 478 BC, following the defeat of Xerxes' invasion of Greece, Pausanias the Spartan led Hellenic forces against the Persians. Events By place Greece Despite Spartan opposition Athens is refortified as well as rebuilt after the Xerxes I of Persia was a King of Persia (reigned 485–465 BC of the Achaemenid dynasty. Pausanias (Greek = Παυσανίας (d c 470 BC was a Spartan general of the 5th century BC The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia 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 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. Thus, Sparta surrendered the leadership of the ongoing campaign to Athens, which was eager to accept it, and the Delian League came under the military leadership of the Athenians. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's 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. For the Genus of Grass skipper Butterflies, see Carystus (butterfly. 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, 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. An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant Naxos (in Greek, Νάξος) is a Greek island the largest island ( in the Cyclades island group in the Aegean.
Thucydides tells us that this is how Athens' control over the League grew. Thucydides ( C 460 BC &ndash C 395 BC) ( Greek Θουκυδίδης Thoukydídēs) was a Greek
| “ | 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. [2] | ” |
Athenian Era
In 454 BC, Athens moved the treasury of the Delian League from Delos to Athens, allegedly to keep it safe from Persia. Events By place Persian Empire Persian rule in Egypt is finally restored by Megabyzus, Satrap of Syria However, Plutarch indicates that many of Pericles' rivals viewed the transfer to Athens as usurping monetary resources to fund elaborate building projects. Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c Pericles (also spelled Perikles) (c 495 – 429 BC Greek:, meaning "surrounded by glory" was a prominent and influential Statesman, orator 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, as well as many other non-defense related expenditures. The Parthenon ( Ancient Greek:) is a temple of the Greek goddess Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the Athenian Acropolis The Acropolis of Athens is the best known Acropolis (high city The "Sacred Rock" in the world 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 BC 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 BC, Cimon was ostracized, and was succeeded in his influence by democrats such as Ephialtes and Pericles. Events By place Greece In Athens, Ephialtes and Pericles finally get agreement to the Ostracism of Ostracism ( ostrakismos) was a procedure under the Athenian democracy in which a prominent Citizen could be expelled from the City-state Ephialtes ( Greek:, Ephialtēs) was an ancient Athenian politician and an early leader of the democratic movement there This signaled a complete change in Athenian foreign policy, neglecting the alliance with the Spartans and instead allying with her enemies, Argos and Thessaly. Argos ( Greek: Ἄργος, Árgos ˈaɾɣos is a city in Greece in the Peloponnese near Nafplio, which was its historic harbor Thessalia redirects here For the Butterfly Genus, see Thessalia (butterfly. 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. Megara ( Greek:, "Big Houses" is an ancient city (pop Corinth, or Korinth ( Greek Κόρινθος ( is a city in Greece. 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. Themistocles ( Greek:; c 524&ndash459 BC was an Athenian soldier and statesman Long Walls ( Μακρά Τείχη) in Ancient Greece, were walls built from a city to its port providing a secure connection to the sea even during times of siege Piraeus (pɪˈræʊs Πειραιάς, piɾeˈas Πειραιεύς, piɾeˈefs is a city in the periphery of Attica, Greece, and a
Peloponnesian war
Soon war with the Peloponnesians broke out. In 458 BC, 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. Events By place Greece Pleistoanax succeeds his father Pleistarchus as king of Sparta. Aegina ( Greek: Αίγινα ( Egina) is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece in the Saronic Gulf, 17 miles (30 km from The next year Sparta sent an army into Boeotia, reviving the power of Thebes to help hold the Athenians in check. Boeotia, Beotia, or Bœotia ( Greek: Βοιωτία - English biːˈoʊʃiə formerly Cadmeis was a region of Ancient Greece, north of the Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides 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. There was a later battle at Tanagra during the Peloponnesian War; see Battle of Tanagra (426 BC. 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. Myronides was an Athenian general in 458 BCE when he defeated the Corinthians at Megara, and again in 457 BCE when he defeated the Boeotians Boeotia, Beotia, or Bœotia ( Greek: Βοιωτία - English biːˈoʊʃiə formerly Cadmeis was a region of Ancient Greece, north of the The Battle of Oenophyta took place between Athens and the Boeotian City-states in 457 BC during the First Peloponnesian War.
Persian War
War with the Persians continued, however. In 460 BC, Egypt had revolted under Inarus and Amyrtaeus, who requested aid from Athens. Events By place Persian Empire Egypt revolts against Persian rule This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Ienheru or Inarus, also known as Inaros, (c460 BC was an Egyptian rebel ruler who was the son of a Libyan prince named Psametik presumably Amyrtaeus (or Amenirdisu) of Sais is the only king of the Twenty-eighth dynasty of Egypt and is thought to be related to the royal family of the Pericles led 250 ships, originally intended to attack Cyprus, to their aid because it would hurt Persia. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía Persia's image had already been hurt when it failed to conquer the Greeks and Pericles wanted to further this. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions After four years, however, the rebellion was defeated by general Megabyzus, who captured the greater part of the Athenian forces. For other historical characters named Megabyzus see Megabyzus (disambiguation. In fact, according to Isocrates, the Athenians and their allies lost some 20,000 men in the expedition. The remainder escaped to Cyrene and thence returned home. Cyrene (in Greek, Κυρήνη &ndash Kurene) was an ancient Greek Colony in present-day Libya, the oldest and most
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 BC. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía Cimon (in Greek, Κίμων &mdash Kimōn) (510 Athens - 450 BC Citium, Cyprus) was an Athenian Events By place Greece The Persian fleet moves against a rebellious Cyprus to restore order He died during the blockade of Citium, though the fleet won a double victory by land and sea over the Persians off Salamis. Larnaca, ( Greek: Λάρνακα, Turkish: Larnaka) is a City of the Republic of Cyprus situated on the southern coast Salamis was an ancient City-state on the east coast of Cyprus, at the mouth of the river Pedieos 6 km north of modern Famagusta.
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 BC, but some writers believe that the treaty was a myth created later to inflate the stature of Athens. The Peace of Callias is a purported treaty established around 449 BC between the Delian League (led by Athens) and Persia, ending the Persian Events By place Greece Athenian General Cimon sails to Cyprus with two hundred Triremes of the 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, in 447 BC, led to the abandonment of Boeotia. The Battle of Coronea took place between the Athenian -led Delian League and the Boeotian League in 447 BC during the First Peloponnesian Events By place Greece Pericles leads Athenian forces in the expulsion of barbarians from the Thracian peninsula of Euboea and Megara both revolted, and while the former was restored to its status as a tributary ally, the latter was a permanent loss. For the mythological figure see Euboea (mythology Euboea ( Modern Greek, Εύβοια - Évia &mdash 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. Events By place Greece Athens enters into an alliance with King Sitalkes of Thrace, after Nymphodorus an influential Athenian
Those who revolted unsuccessfully during the war saw the example made of the Mytilenians, the principal people on Lesbos. Mytilene ( Greek: Μυτιλήνη - Mitilíni) is the Capital City of Lesbos, a Greek Island in the Aegean Sea 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. Milos (in Greek, Μήλος &mdash not related to the modern word μήλο &ndash milo " Apple " 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). The Melian dialogue is a passage found in Book V (85-113 of the History of the Peloponnesian War by the ancient Greek Historian Thucydides
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. Chios (Χίος pronounced ˈçio̞s alternative transliterations Khíos and Híos) is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated Lesbos (Λέσβος also transliterated Lesvos, Midilli is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. 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. The Sicilian Expedition was an Athenian expedition to Sicily from 415 BC to 413 BC, during the Peloponnesian War. Geography Physical Ionia was of small extent not exceeding 90 geographical miles in length from north to south with a breadth varying from 40 to 55 miles but to this 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 BC 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. The Second Athenian Empire or Confederacy was a maritime confederation of Aegean city-states from 378 BC - 355 BC and headed by Athens primarily Events By place Persian empire Mausolus is appointed as the Persian Satrap of Caria.
See also
References
- ^ Martin, Thomas (2001-08-11). Athenian democracy developed in the Greek City-state of Athens The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca Ancient Greece: From Prehistoric to Hellenistic Times. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0300084931.
- ^ Thucydides i. 99
External links
- Livius, Delian League by Jona Lendering
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic