Athens' Rise to Empire



Athens' Rise to Empire

(How? Accident? Premeditation?)

I. ORIGINS:

A. 478 B.C. situation: Athens strong--navy & leaders

B. Sparta--withdraws-- 1. Pausanias' disgrace; 2. isolationism

C. Delos meeting --to form permanent League vs. Persia

Purposes:

1. protection

2. revenge

3. liberate Ionia

Organization: Athens in charge* = Athens' demos

1. generals (strategoi)

2. tax collection (phoros)

II. FUNCTIONING OF THE 'LEAGUE':

A. Military successes 478-468 B.C. (Kimon strategos of navy)

B. Aristeides (the Just) set phoros--(sim. to Persian taxes)—more League allies begin to pay cash, not ships--OK w/Athens!

C. No Secession policy:

1. Naxos 470 B.C. --membership not voluntary

2. Eion siege, Skyros (N.Aegean) conquered, enslaved, klerouchy

3. Thasos 465-63BC--a special case?

III. ATHENS' INCREASING IMPERIALISM:

A. Athens' policy = League policy (Thasos' revolt--imp. ex.)

B. Athens intervenes more in allies' affairs (political, legal, decrees)

1. 700 agents sent to allied polises

2. imp.. legal cases go to Athens

C. Wars in Egypt, Central Greece, Cyprus--anti-Persian or Expansionist?

IV. ATHENIAN EXPANSIONISM--MOTIVES: anti-Persian? Empire?

A. N. Aegean: to protect grain trade route to Black Sea

*klerouchies set up there (dual citizenship)

B. West--Sicily & Italy:

1.estab. colony-Thouroi--open to all Greeks

2. Athens makes alliances w/Segesta, Leontini Why?

C. Central Greece: to punish 'Medizers'? other motives?

V. ATHENS AS IMPERIALIST (ca. 460 B.C.)

1. Athens moves League Treasury from Delos to Athens 454 B.C.

2. All allies must use Athenian drachmas for business (exchanged at Athens--by deadline).

3. Athens pushes democracies in oligarchic (pro-spartan) allied polises

4. 449/8 Athens uses 1/60 of phoros for Athena-Perikles' bldg. program

5. 449 B.C. Peace of Kallias w/Persia--why did League continue ?

VI. Athens Goals?

1.a trading Empire, dominating Mediterranean Sea.

2. wealth? land? booty?

** Who benefitted? at Athens--aristocrats? demos? in League?

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