The Delian League, a military coalition composed of Greek states, was formed to combat against any further retaliation from the Persians after the end of the Persian Wars. Over time, however, the League strayed away from its initial objective. Under the leadership of Athens, the Delian League slowly evolved into what modern scholarships describes as the “Athenian Empire”. Soon after the League’s formation, Athens began to gain more control of the League through military might through examples like the Naxian and Thasian revolts. Likewise, Athens demonstrated the economic dominance she had over most of the Aegean Sea through the Megarian sanctions and the ongoing tributes after the Peace of Callias. The Delian League undoubtedly evolved into
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A notable example of Athens’ economic dominance is the Athenian decrees against Megara. Prior to the outbreak of the Peloponnese War, Thucydides writes that Athens “accused the Megarians of pushing their cultivation into the consecrated ground and the unenclosed land on the border, and of harboring her runaway slaves” (Thucydides I 139) and imposed economic sanctions against the Megarians as a result. Refusing to revoke them, these sanctions banned Megarian traders from all ports and marketplaces within the Athenian Empire. Since the Athenian Empire encompassed most of the Aegean, there were very few places that the Megarians could go to trade. Therefore, the sanctions against the Megarians imposed by Athens had effectively devastated the Megarian economy. Evidently, the extent of the Athenian Empire’s economic control is great enough that it could ruin economies of states that were not a part of the empire if they chose to. Furthermore, another example of Athens exercising economic dominance revolves around the Peace of Callias. Although there is much debate regarding its existence, the Peace of Callias does have an effect of Athens’ economic control of the Delian League. The Peace of Callias is purported to be a peace treaty agreed upon by both the Delian League and Persia at around 450 BCE. Both agreed that there would be no more formal conflict between the two parties which would mark the end of the Greco-Persian Wars. However, despite Persia no longer posing a threat to the Greek world because of the treaty, the Delian League continued to exist. The existence of the Delian League was no longer justified because it had indefinitely achieved its original purpose. Yet, Athens continued with its ongoing leadership of the League and
A notable example of Athens’ economic dominance is the Athenian decrees against Megara. Prior to the outbreak of the Peloponnese War, Thucydides writes that Athens “accused the Megarians of pushing their cultivation into the consecrated ground and the unenclosed land on the border, and of harboring her runaway slaves” (Thucydides I 139) and imposed economic sanctions against the Megarians as a result. Refusing to revoke them, these sanctions banned Megarian traders from all ports and marketplaces within the Athenian Empire. Since the Athenian Empire encompassed most of the Aegean, there were very few places that the Megarians could go to trade. Therefore, the sanctions against the Megarians imposed by Athens had effectively devastated the Megarian economy. Evidently, the extent of the Athenian Empire’s economic control is great enough that it could ruin economies of states that were not a part of the empire if they chose to. Furthermore, another example of Athens exercising economic dominance revolves around the Peace of Callias. Although there is much debate regarding its existence, the Peace of Callias does have an effect of Athens’ economic control of the Delian League. The Peace of Callias is purported to be a peace treaty agreed upon by both the Delian League and Persia at around 450 BCE. Both agreed that there would be no more formal conflict between the two parties which would mark the end of the Greco-Persian Wars. However, despite Persia no longer posing a threat to the Greek world because of the treaty, the Delian League continued to exist. The existence of the Delian League was no longer justified because it had indefinitely achieved its original purpose. Yet, Athens continued with its ongoing leadership of the League and