The Delian League was an alliance of Greek city-states formed in 478 BCE under the leadership of Athens, in the aftermath of the Persian Wars, to continue the fight against Persia and to protect the Aegean islands and the coast of Asia Minor. Its treasury was kept on the island of Delos, which gave it its name, and members contributed ships or money. Athens moved the treasury to its own city in the middle of the century and used the funds for its navy and public buildings, including the Parthenon. Over time the alliance turned into an Athenian empire, and members who tried to leave, such as Naxos and Thasos, were forced to stay. It ended with Athens' defeat in the Peloponnesian War.
Before and after
- 12 August 490 BCEBattle of Marathon
- 484 BCEBirth of Herodotus
- 11 August 480 BCEBattle of Thermopylae
- 479 BCEDeath of Confucius
- from 478 BCE to 403 BCEFounding of Delian League
- from 476 BCE to 221 BCEWarring States period
- 470 BCEBirth of Socrates
- 466 BCEDiscovery of Halley's Comet
- 460 BCEBirth of Hippocrates
More in Society, economy & sport
- 7th century BCERise of Nyaya
- 335 BCERise of peripatetic school
- from 4th century BCE to 4th centuryFounding of Library of Alexandria
- from 280 BCE to 146 BCEFounding of Achaean League
- 167 BCERise of Maccabees
- 2nd centuryRise of Montanism
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 5th century BCE.