From the Delian League Athens received their new buildings. The Delian League tricked and robbed 350 city-states in Greece.
In 5th century B.C. Greek city-states united so they could defend themselves from the Persian attacks. There were troops from every city-state. When Persians took over Ionia, the Greeks were involved because of Cyrus the Great. The Lynians and Ionians were under control of Governor Sadis. Years later (499B.C.), the Aristocrats led an attack against the Persians. Athens supported them by sending 20 ships filled with soldiers. Then the Ionians advanced to Sadis and they burned the city down.
When the Persians conquest hit the western part of Asia Minor it threatened the Greeks trading. One of the colonies on the Black Sea such as the Greek city-state Miletus were threatened and had reason to rebel against Persians. By the year of 494B.C., Miletus was destroyed and all the people left.
Greek Blogger Camp Day 1
Athens
Fragment of an Athenian decree concerning the coll...Then, Darius the Persian King, decided to move against the Greeks on the main land. The invasion began (490B.C.) Athenian army was led by the Miletus commander and met the Persian force at Marathon (Greek city-state). At Marathon were many losses of soldiers. In 479 B.C., the Persian army attacked the Athenians again, this time Athens was ready by joining Sparta.
After Greece lost the Athenian fleet, a large number of Greek city-states formed a voluntary alliance called the Delian League. Athens headed this alliance. The League was to drive Persians out of Greek cities, coastal islands and Asian Minor. After they fled these cities from the Persians, Athenian's General Cimon's victory resulted in liberation from Asia Minor from Persia. Athens became powerful and over ran the other members of the League. Now Athens became subjects rather than their allies. The Athenians started to drive out the League instead of repaying the League. Naxos tried to leave the League, but the uprising of the military defense razed the city. Pericles (prominent politician in Athens) was determined to rebuild Athens and to make it a more beautiful city. Under his rule, the Delian League built his empire. Pericles thought it was a good idea to use the Delian League tribute money to help rebuild. The buildings that were constructed from this are the Parthenon, the Erechteum, and the Popylea.
The Delian League was very good for Athens. When the Athenians came out of the Persian Wars, they were the wealthiest and most powerful city-state. They used their power and money to their own advantage, which made other states, especially Sparta, resentful. This resentment translated with the Pelopennian Wars of 431B.C.
Thucydides, whose history provides many of the det...
Map showing the southern Balkans and western Asia ...
Map of the eastern Mediterranean, showing the loca...