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Ancient History
RoSA Work Sample Mike
Year 11 Ancient History student work sample – Grade D
How is the Delian League historically significant?
The Delian League is very much historically significant because it tells us a large amount about
what the ancient Greek life was based around. The Delian League tells us that ancient Greeks
politics were based around the military due to the league forming for military purposes and the
reason of disputes in the league. It also tells us that the Ancient Greeks were ordered and
sophisticated because of the way they managed the league. It also tells us that the Ancient
Greeks were very divided into their city-states because Greece was not a nation, they were just
city-states who had a common enemy.
The Delian League tells that the Ancient Greeks had very militaristic based politics. The
league was not formed for financial reasons or to unite the city-states, it was to defend against
Persian attacks and to destroy the threat of Persia. The Delian League was formed by Athens
who had recently been defeated by the Persians in one of many of Persia’s attacks. Athens
was weak and so they called for help from the surrounding city-states who were stronger. The
members of the League swore to a common enemy and to destroy the threat that is Persia by
contributing either ships or money to the war effort. This shows the expansion of the league
which demonstrates its militaristic purpose. The fact that the Delian League was formed for
militaristic purposes tells us that the ancient Greeks had politics significantly based on military
needs.
The Delian League tells us that Ancient Greeks were very ordered and sophisticated in the way
they went about managing the league. Part of the Delian League was to hold an assembly in a
democratic style which each city-state had one vote as to what to do with the league. Policy
was to be established by the league assembly (in which each state had one vote regardless of
its size), which indicates a movement towards democracy. The league was also very ordered it
has certain amount of money to be paid annually to each city-state. This was determined from
the Athenian Tribute Lists. The Athenian tribute lists are large blocks of marble which have
etchings in them that show a portion of how much money was paid to each city-state. The
working the Delia League can be traced through documents known as the Athenian Tribune
Lists, which record financial transactions and the proportion of annual contribution to the
League which were paid to the treasury of Athena. The payments were recorded on a large
block of marble of which one hundred and eighty survive. This shows that financial
transactions were recorded instead of just handing out money which meant no financial
disputes took place. Another understanding
Basic knowledge of the
content is
demonstrated in this
introduction. Some key
points about the Delian
League are raised
This section
demonstrates basic
historical knowledge.
The topic sentence links
the contents to the
question
Integration of
information is
demonstrated in this
logical conclusion
Referring to the
Athenian Tribute List
and the site of Delos
provides evidence of
some research
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RoSA Work Sample Mike
that demonstrates the order and sophistication is that the treasury for the league was not
based in Athens but it was held on the small island of Delos (which is close to Athens) in a
temple dedicated to the God Apollo. The fact the Delian League tells us that the ancient
Greeks managed the Delian League is very significant. This is proved by the Athenian tribute
lost, the one vote democratic system and the position of the treasury which prove that the
Ancient Greek people’s lives were significantly ordered and sophisticated .
The Delian League can also tell us that the city-states were not united as a nation but were in
fact divided and that their life was based around the state. This is proven by the fact that rare
to see the states united only up until King Philip and Alexander of Macedon who ultimately
untied Greece and the fact that there were conflicts between city-states. Or so many states
to be so close to each other and have such a common enemy, it is expected that the city
states would be united. However it was a unique situation that the city-states put their
differences aside in opposition to the Persian invasions. This emphasis on the Delian League
as a reason to come together for a brief while is significant. Because the ancient Greeks
were not always one nation but divided, it is not surprising that disputes between city-states
occurred. However wars like the Peloponnesian wars also formed from these disputes.
Athens and Corinth did not always get along. In 459 BC Corinth and Aegina combined
against Athens, and the Spartan city-state decided to enter the war against Athens in 457 BC.
This proves there was conflict between the city-states and significant division of the citystates. The Delian League tells us that there was significant division of the city states in
Ancient Greece because of the rarity of the league and the fact that there were conflicts such
as the Peloponnesian War which shows that the lives of the ancient Greeks were based
around the city-state.
General knowledge and
understanding is
demonstrated in this
basic discussion of the
city-states with
reference made to the
lack of unity amongst
the city states of
Ancient Greece
A basic understanding
is demonstrated in the
links made between the
topic of city-states,
unity and the
significance of the
Delian League
Grade Commentary
This response demonstrates a basic knowledge of the significance of the Delian League. The attempt to
draw from archaeological sources helps to validate the argument. Specific detail, including dates and
extended explanations, would move the essay from mostly descriptive to a more analytical response to the
question. At times the argument is lost in unclear language use.
Mike’s response demonstrates characteristics of work typically produced by a student performing at a
grade D standard.
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