Download the golden age part i

THE GOLDEN AGE PART I: THE ATHENIAN ALLIANCE
Intro: With the defeat of the second Persian invasion, Greece could breathe a sigh of relief. But Persia
was not defeated, not even remotely so. Here we'll examine the post-invasion developments in the Greek
world, the continuing role of Persia in Greek affairs, the formation of the so called Athenian Alliance, and
the beginning of what would become the 'Golden Age' of Greece, and particularly of Athens.
Athens' Relations with Sparta: Despite their differences, Sparta and Athens had cooperated closely
since the first Persian invasion, and Athens acknowledged Sparta as the military leader of the Hellenic
League. However, with the defeat of the second invasion, two major points of contention arose. The first
issue was Sparta's request that all city-walls and fortification in north and central Greece be demolished:
that would leave no secure base for a third invasion to operate from, while the Peloponnese would remain
fortified as the bastion of the Greeks. The Athenians needless to say were not enthused by this, and
decided against this policy. To buy time, Themistocles travelled to Sparta and gave the impression that
Athens would cooperate with this idea. After having stalled sufficiently (and being informed that the
walls had been built up to a defensible height) Themistocles revealed the truth and asked Sparta to accept
this status quo, which to its credit Sparta did. The second issue dealt with the Ionian cities of Asia, which
Sparta was not inclined to fight for, but which Athens sought to protect due to her connections with the
Ionian Greeks. A major change in Greek policy took place when the regent Pausanias was recalled from
his command of an expeditionary force against the Persians, and in his absence the non-Peloponnesian
Greek forces placed themselves under Athenian command. While Sparta attempted to appoint a successor
to Pausanias, he eventually withdrew, and Sparta did not attempt to impose its command on the fleet.
Organization and Success of the Athenian Alliance: In the winter of 478-477 B.C. the Athenian
Alliance took shape. It took a form similar to the Spartan Alliance, with two governing bodies (the
Athenian state and a council of allies). The meeting place of the Alliance's delegates as well as the
location of its treasury was the island of Delos (hence the Alliance's modern name - the Delian League).
When deciding on matters of policy, both governing bodies had to accept a proposal, and in other matters
it operated on a similar basis to the Ionian League of the past generation. Unlike the Ionian League, the
Athenian Alliance possessed a Hegemon (a leading state guiding the other allies) which lent it far more
coherence and direction that the Ionians had mustered. Athens, as head of the Alliance, provided a large
portion of the military forces, and likewise assessed the contributions of the other states (i.e. whether they
would contribute ships or money, and how much of each, as well as levying troops). These assessments
were done initially by the Athenian statesman Aristides the Just (a man known for his scrupulous
fairness and honesty). After campaigning for several years against the Persians, the decisive moment
occurred at the Battle of the Eurymedon river c.467 B.C. Here the Persians had been gathering a large
fleet and army, likely with the intent to advance into the Aegean as a precursor to a third invasion.
However, the Alliance struck first, led by the great Athenian General Cimon. The Allied navy followed
the larger Persian fleet in towards the coast, where they succeeded in engaging them and wrecking many
upon the shore. The Allies then landed an army which overran and destroyed the Persian army which had
advanced to meet them. After this Cimon annihilated a Persian fleet en-route from Cyprus, and then
finished the campaign by destroying what was left of the Persian Satrapy in Europe. This battle decisively
ended the threat of Persia to the Greek homeland, and the Greeks who died at Eurymedon were venerated
for having guaranteed the freedom of their people.
The Troubles of Sparta: While the Persian Wars had enhanced Sparta's prestige amongst the Greeks, the
strain on Sparta itself had been immense. They had taken the greatest losses of any Greek state (with the
exception of Athens), including some 500 Spartiates, and by fighting alongside the other peoples of
Greece the Helots, Perioikoi, and the Spartans themselves were exposed to many foreign influences.
Chief among these were temptations of the wealth and power generated by the wars, to which several
high ranking Spartans succumbed. This decline in prestige of the Spartan kingship brought the Ephors as
well as the Gerousia more power, and these conservative institutions exerted a tighter grip on the internal
affairs of the Spartan state, and while some pressed for Sparta to reclaim its leadership in the Hellenic
congress, it was for now content to enjoy a dual leadership role with Athens. This decision not to contest
the growing power of Athens was a wise one, for in the decades after the victories of Plataea and Mycale
the Spartans had to contest both a rising by the Messenian Helots (the Third Messenian War) as well as
rival states in the Peloponnese, for which all its strength was needed.
Politics at Athens 479-466 B.C.: The successes of Athens and its allies gave the population great
confidence, and built up a solidarity between the richer classes who made up the army, and the poorer
who manned the fleet. Though the Generals had acquired more importance and power due to the
prolonged period of conflict, the power of ostracism could be utilized ruthlessly by the Assembly to bring
statesmen they feared to heel. At the same time the Areopagus council had gained in prestige due to its
handling of the evacuation of Attica during the war, and used its discretionary powers to lead Athens
along a steady path (for example by defeating excessively populous measures that might unbalance the
state and its constitution). One of the most decisive moves made by the Assembly was the ostracism of
Themistocles: though he had masterminded the victory over Persia, his policy of opposing both Persia
and Sparta was seen as reckless, and it was suspected he lacked strong moral fibre. Ultimately he fled to
the court of the Persia, where he lived well in the King's service. It was Cimon who was chosen by the
Athenians to wield great power and to set forth his policies, which included war with Persia but also
friendship with Sparta. Through his efforts Athens built a Thalassocracy in the Aegean and enjoyed
heights of power and influence unseen before. However, it was now presented with a choice: either live
within the bounds of its current power (for it was unlikely further gains could be made against Persia), or
break with Sparta and turn towards other Greek states to expand. It was this decision which would define
the future of the Greek world.
The Western Greeks: While the Persian Wars were being fought in Greece, in the western colonies a
war nearly as great was taking place. The great power of Carthage, knowing that no help could be
expected from the Greek homeland, launched an invasion of Sicily, intent on conquering the entire island.
Their plans were dashed however at the Battle of Himera where Gelon, the tyrant of Syracuse, crushed
the Carthaginian army, forcing Carthage to sue for peace and ensuring they would not trouble the island
again for the next 70 years. Gelon was celebrated as a hero, and though the services of the various tyrants
of Sicily greatly strengthened Hellenism there, they in time made themselves hated and were in turn
overthrown and replaced by democracies in most of Sicily. While the cities of Italy were too disunited to
extend their political powers far inland, their very presence greatly affected the peoples of the peninsula,
including an insignificant little city in rustic Latium: Rome.
Describe the organization of the Delian League. In what ways was it similar to the Ionian League,
and in what ways was it different? How were these differences positive and negative?
What effects did the Persian Wars have on Spartan society? How did this impact the way in which
Sparta conducted its affairs and set its policies in the years afterwards?
Both Themistocles and Cimon sought power in order to put their own policies and priorities into
effect. Why did the Athenians give Cimon such power yet shun Themistocles? In what ways could
personality play just as much role in what politicians were elected as their policies did?