The+Delian+League+by+Luke+Doyle


 * __ The Delian league __ **


 *  After defeating the Persians in 480 and 479 BC, all of the Greek cities were freed. Persia was still very powerful and so Greece feared that Persia would come back stronger and more powerful and attack Greece once again. All of the Greek cities decided to form a league to help form a navy strong enough to keep the Persians away. This league was formed in 477 BC and called The Delian League with the Athenians as they’re leaders as they had the strongest fleet. All of the other city states contributed money or as many ships as they could afford. **


 * [[image:http://www.sikyon.com/athens/monuments/athens_view1.jpg width="446" height="230" align="right"]] After some time passed, most cities just began sending money **
 *  instead of ships so that the Athenians could use it to **** build more **
 * ships and they did. Soon Athens had plenty of ships to discourage **
 * the Persians from making any attack and began to use to the rest of **
 * the money to make Athens more powerful and rebuild their city, **
 * they also erected **** magnificent and expensive sculptures and monuments. **




 * Soon people from the other city-states began questioning what was being done with their money and when some of the members of the Delian League tried to leave, Athens simply forced them back into alliance. The Delian League was turning into an Athenian Empire and in 454 BC the Athenians transferred the Leagues treasury from Delos to Athens. The other city states were angry and wanted to rebel against Athens but they were too small to do anything. Eventually **** Sparta (one of the larger city states) rose up against the Athenian Empire and put it to a stop. **


 * By Luke Doyle **