Delian League
Association of ancient Greek city-states under Athenian hegemony
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The Delian League was an alliance of ancient Greek city-states that joined together under Athens' leadership, primarily to defend against Persian threats. It mattered because it became the foundation of Athenian power and influence in the Mediterranean, though it eventually transformed into an Athenian empire as Athens used the league's resources for its own purposes.
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Athens and Delian League (yellow) shown along the Peloponnesian League and the Persian Empire at the outset of the Peloponnesian War around 431 BC
The Delian League was a confederacy of Greek city-states, numbering between 150 and 330, founded in 478 BC under the leadership (hegemony) of Athens, whose purpose was to continue fighting the Persian Empire after the Greek victory in the Battle of Plataea at the end of the Second Persian invasion of Greece. The League functioned as a dual—offensive and defensive—alliance (symmachia) of autonomous states, similar to its rival association, the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. The League's modern name derives from its official meeting place, the island of Delos, where congresses were held within the sanctuary of the Temple of Apollo; contemporary authors referred to the organization simply as "the Athenians and their Allies".