P[

Delian League: origins, aims, organisation and activities to the Battle of the
Eurymedon River
The Origins of the Delian League
The Delian League (Athenian League) was an alliance of Greek-city states.
Led by Athens
Formed in 478 BCE to liberate Eastern Greek cities from Persian rule and as
a defence to possible revenge attacks from Persia.
Formed following victories: Marathon, Salamis and Plataea in the early 5 th
century BCE.
The alliance of over 300 cities would eventually be so dominated by Athens
that, in effect, it evolved into the Athenian empire.
Objective of the Delian League
Thucydides The principal objects for the allies to compensate themselves
for their losses was for them to ravish the of the Persian King.
Early arrangements
Positive:
League HQ and treasury at Delos
Athens voted Hegemon Military Leader (Everyone agreed)
Strong states supply ships and men, smaller states contribute
tribute
Every state had a vote in the synod (meetings)
Athens was president of the synod

Negative:
Athens President and Hegemon
Athenians could intimidate and control the votes of smaller states
majority
Athens only state mentioned by name in oath
Athenians assessed and collected tribute
Athens = Permanent leader and Cimon leader fleet

Transformation of the Delian League into the Athenian Empire

By 467 BC, the Delian League seemed to have achieved the aims for which
it had been formed.
Xerxes was forced to sign an agreement in 467 BC which forbade his forces
to be within a days march of the Greek seaboard.
Cimons victory at the battle of the Eurymedon River, and the subsequent
attack on Cyprus, had brought security to the Greek states of the Aegan and
Asia Minor.
The Greek states that were under Persian control in Asia Minor were now
free.
Some of the booty from Persian defeats had been passed on the Greek
Allies- some had also been passed on to Athens to strengthen its fleet and
adorn its city.
This meant the league was no longer needed
Athens quickly dispelled this notion in 465 BC when Thasos attempted to
secede from the Delian League.
The Defeat of Thasos: 465-63 BC
The Thasians resented Athenian encroachment in their traditional markets and
growing Athenian control over the gold mining activities in nearby Thrace. The
dispute between Thasos and Athens led to Thasos decision to secede from the
Delian League.
Thasos sought assistance from Macedon, and more importantly from Sparta
(though Athens learned of this only later)
Cimon defeated the Thasian fleet but it took a two-year siege of the city
before Thasos was brought to heel.
The punishment for Thasos was severe:
Thasos was forced to hand over all its ships
to Athens;
It had to surrender its claim to the
goldmines
It had to pay a large indemnity to Athens
Athens had sent pit a clear message to other allies: Athens would not be
allowing any state to leave the League.
The Eclipse of Cimon and the rise of the Pericles
Despite his string of successes, Cimon faced major opposition from his political
opponents in Athens, led by Ephialtes and Pericles. These men sought the
increasing democratisation of Athens, and the pursuit of an aggressive foreign
policy which would bring to Athens growing power, influence and wealth. Cimon
was of a more aristocratic bent and sought a more conservative foreign policy.
In 459 BC, two of Spartas allies Corinth and Megara became involved in
a border dispute. Megara turned into Athens for assistance which the
Athenians were only to willing to give

 Corinth now declared war on Athens and Megara, and was soon backed by
Athens naval rival, Aegina.
Athens now successfully fought a series of land and sea battles.
In 458 BC, it defeated Aegina, capturing 70 of its ships. Aegina was forced to
join the Delian League.
Athens continuing success in Greece alarmed Sparta. It sent troop to Boetia
in 457 BC to assist its ally Doris against Phocis. Sparta then established a
confederation under the leadership of Thebes.
Spartan forces then moved south but were intercepted by an Athenian force.
Followed was a major Battle Tanagra in 457 BC in which the Spartans
were victorious
Sparta did not feel strong enough to move on Athens and so returned to the
Peloponnese.
Within a few months, Athens had regained with initiative with a victory at the
Battle of Oenophyta
This gave Athens control of all Boetia, except Thebes
Phocis joined the Athenian alliance
Followed by Troezen, in Argolis on the eastern side of the Peloponnese.
Athens at its peak and peace at last
In 454 BC, the treasury of the Delian League was moved from the temple of
Apollo in Delos to the temple of Athena in Athens. Athens now had full
control over league funds, though the move from Delos was really only a
recognition of what had already happened.
Despite Tangarar and Egypt, Athens was at the height of its power. It
controlled the seas from the Pontus to the Levant, and had a land empire
that stretched from Thermopylae to the Isthmus. In 451 BC, Cimon
negotiated a Five Year Truce with Sparta.
Cimon led alliance forces against Persia with an expedition to Cyprus.
Cimon died during this campaign.

It was after this campaign that peace as finally achieved between the
Persian Empire and the Athenian Empire with the Peace of Callias in 449
BC
Persia warships would avoid the Aegan and the Propontis;
Athens wpould not attack Persian Territory
Both had reasons to seek an end to hostilities