The Delian League and Athenian Imperialism

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The Delian League and Athenian Imperialism

The Delian League, Athenian Imperialism and the Peloponnesian War The Delian League The Delian League For the Greeks, who had just won the Persian Wars, that conflict was a beginning, not an end. Defeat of the Persians had created a power vacuum in the Aegean. This favored the city-state with the strongest navy. Athens and her allies formed the Delian League.(island of Delos, sacred shrine) intended as a free alliance under Athenian leadership; Athens provided most of the warships and crews; Athenian Success Has a Sinister Side While the Athenians drove the Persians out of the Aegean, they also became increasingly imperialistic; turned the Delian League into an Athenian Empire; Athenian allies reduced to status of subjects; Athens harshly suppressed dissident or rebellious governments; installed puppet governments; collected dues by force; Aggressive expansion of Athens alarmed Sparta; 459 B.C to 455 B.C. The Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.) “This day will be the beginning of great evil for the Greeks.” Spartan Ambassador The war lasted a generation and brought in its wake plagues, famine, civil wars, widespread destruction and huge loss of life. Sparta invaded Athenian territory 5 times in the first 7 years. Athenians remained behind walls; eventually plague; (Pericles himself dies) • A new breed of politicians – rash, ambitious, and more self-serving; • Temporary peace in 421 B.C. A cold war; • Alcibiades – widened war to further his own career; convinced Athens to attack Syracuse in Sicily; FAILURE; Athenian force defeated; Athens and Melos • Athens sent fleet to the neutral island of Melos with an ultimatum: surrender or perish; • Melians resisted. • Athens conquers Melos, killing men of military age and selling women and children into slavery. War Resumes • Renewal of war between Athens and Sparta • Persia intervenes: Sparta lacked a navy to take advantage of the revolts of islands against Athens; Alcibiades engineers alliance between Sparta and Persia; • Many Athenian subjects revolt; Athens – and Greece - Defeated • Spartan commander Lysander destroys last Athenian fleet; • Spartans now blockade Athens, starving them into submission; .

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