After the victories of Sesto and Micala, in 479 B.C., the Greek cities believed it convenient to maintain a Panhellenic League that would protect them from the Persian threat, headed by Sparta and before its resignation, by Athens.
In the year 478 BC, the allies decided to form an alliance among themselves (Simmajía ), which had as its center the Ionian Federal sanctuary of Delos, offering its presidency to Athens.
According to Aristotle, the foundation of the Delian League took place in the archonate of Timosthenes, entrusting its organization to Aristides, who, due to his prestige, temperance and diplomacy with the allies, received the name of The Just .
Basically, the Delos League had great similarities with the previous Panthelenic League As was its offensive-defensive character against the Persians, however, there was a series of its own characters in the former that gave it its peculiarity:It was maritime, dual (Athens and the allies are always mentioned ), timeless and disparate, in the sense that allies were not of equal importance.
Delian League Organization
At first this Simmajía (political-military alliance) had a strategic purpose, giving the executive command to Athens and establishing annual tributes or forums (contributions), for its maintenance.
Around 443/2, the allies were about three hundred cities, divided into five districts, among which the whole tribute was distributed:
- Thrace :Cities of the Chalcidice peninsula, coast of Thrace and Lasos.
- Helespont :South coast of the Hellespont and the cities of the stretches of the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles
- Ionia :Cities of Aeolis, Ionia and large islands:Lesbos:Chios, Samos and Naxos.
- Caria :Cities of Caria and Rhodes. This district became part of the previous one.
- The islands :Imbros, Lemnos, Skyros. Euboea and the Cyclades.
The largest part of the expenses that faced the finances of the Delian League was the maintenance of the great fleet that consisted of more than three hundred trirens.
All the evolution of the Delos League It was to the benefit of Athens, but it also forced the Athenians to display more or less direct control over their allies, which led them to intervene politically and judicially in the internal affairs of the cities and ensure their docility, which in the end was a mistake. that Athens paid dearly.