Investigating Athens' Treatment of Her Allies

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Investigating Athens' Treatment of Her Allies

During the period of 478-431, Athens’ treatment of her allies changed

dramatically as she rose to become the leader of an empire. The

establishment of the Delian League marked the beginning of a

significant series of events, which lead to Athens’ rise to extreme

power. From the evidence of Thucydides and the inscriptions, it is

possible to track the progress of these events and the rapidly

changing treatment that Athens enforced upon her allies.

The Delian League was an establishment formed in 478 BC. A large

number of Greek cities formed an alliance under this league and

together aimed to provide a strong defence against Persia, under the

leadership of Athens. It also had intentions to push the war between

Greece and Persia back into enemy territory. The treasury and

headquarters of the league was situated at Delos, an island mid-way

between Athens and Asia Minor with a good harbour. It was also the

centre of Ionian worship for the god Apollo.

Originally, Sparta had been given the role of hegemonia (leadership),

but due to the arrogant treatment of the allies by the king Pausanias,

this role was handed over to Athens. Thucydides accounts that the

allies saw this as a great advantage – ‘Because of their dislike for

Pausanias, [the allies] were glad to see her [Athens] do so’. Yet this

seems terribly ironic considering the events that followed Athens’

promotion of leadership.

Athens first task as leader was to assess the various forms of finance

that were crucial to the league. It required a strong fleet of ships

and strong funds in order to function. According to Thucydides, t...

... middle of paper ...

...henian who had lead the siege against

Samos, realised this but also appreciated the dangers of changing this

tactic all together – ‘Your empire is now like a tyranny: it may have

been wrong to take it; it is certainly dangerous to let it go’. To

this extent, it is reasonable that Athens should use such extreme

measures, as it seemed to be the only way in which she could uphold

her power and keep her allies close. Yet by doing so she had

transformed the original aims of the Delian League entirely, which had

a purpose to promote freedom and independence. In the later cases of

Corinth and Megara, it was Athens unwillingness to agree on

independence that triggered the Peloponnesian War. In effect, I

believe that Athens had helped to end a war, onto to start another

whilst in pursuit of her personal desire for imperialism.

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