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The Delian League

   The Delian was established in 479 B.C. after the Persian Wars because:

1. they wanted to create an alliance that would defend Greece against any Persian threats that may arise
2. Of the actions of Pausanias the Spartan general of the Greek forces that had been accused of Medism and not acting in Greek interests in Asia Minor. The Ionians of the area did not want Pausanias to bring them into slavery once again after they had just been liberated from the Persians, so the Delian League would secure their freedom by destroying any Persian threat from the outside or from any other Greeks
3. Athens had gained sufficient power after their success in the Persian wars and they sought to be the leaders of Greece by replacing Sparta as the commanders of the Greek forces.

Structure of the League

     The League included many of the city-states outside of the Peloponnesian league including all the islands of the Aegean and the Ionian states of Asia Minor that swore an oath that they would remain allies forever. It was supported by the allies of the league through annual set tribute that was determined by each areas wealth and prosperity. The tribute was paid in the ancient denomination of talents and was stored in the League treasury on the island of Delos that had become the official center of the League. Tribute was used to pay for league expenses mainly for war. Athenians would fill the military and fight the battles while the members paid for the expenses and some provided the ships. Members also had the option of becoming an Independent Member who contributed to the league through donating ships if needed, and did not have to pay an annual tribute. Each city had an equal amount of influence in the league assembly where there was one vote for each city including Athens that was the unofficial leader of the league because of its size. Despite the equality in the League assembly, the Athenians held many of the high positions including Hellenotamiai which was the Athenian treasurers of the league finances as well as being the commanding generals of the League forces.

First Actions of the League

     The Delian League began correcting the problems throughout Greece and surrounding areas almost immediately after 479 B.C. However, the sources for the Pentakontaetia are unclear about the exact dates of the events during the time period; therefore, there may be some conflict in the dates presented for this time period from that of other secondary sources. Yet, the series of events are relatively the same as others.

1. The first actions of the League were in the area of Eion that was still occupied by the Persians. The primary goal of the league was to expel any Persian threat in areas of Greece, which brought them to siege Eion. The city had eventually surrendered to the League after they had been starved out.
2. By around 477 - 470 B.C., the League took action on the island of Scyros that was off the coast of Euboea. Scyros had been taken by pirates that had caused problems in the area and threatened the safety of the Athenian grain route that imported food from the Black Sea region to Athens. The League soon defeated the pirates and took the Scyros making it an Athenian colony by renaming it to Cleruchy. The colony was now used primarily as a defense against any threats to the grain route around Euboea.
3. The Delian League also punished Persian collaborators such as the city of Carystos on the southern part of Euboea. In 490 B.C. during the first Persian invasion, Carystos was destroyed by the Persians, and in 480 B.C., the city had medized during the second Persian invasion by Xerxes to avoid destruction once again. As a result of their medizing, the Delian League punished them so that Carystos would not think of siding with the Persians again. This led the League to force Carystos to become a tribute paying member of the League as punishment for their actions.