After the Persian Wars a new league was formed from the Hellenic league. The Delian League was founded in 478B.C.. Formally known as "The Athenians and their allies" the league was made up of Athens as the leader and their allies. Many events contributed to Athens forming the Athenian power. The moving of the treasurey, Revolts against Naxos, Thasos and Chalcis and the decrees. The league lasted till 461B.C. This is how the Athenian Empire emerged from the Delian League.

The main objective for the Delian league was to have an organised defensive alliance to resist future attacks from the Persian’s and to maintain the freedom of the Greeks. "…to create a new body, the so-called Delian League. … The main purpose was aggression against Persia and to inflict vengeance by devasting the King’s land" Ehrenberg states. Thucydides suggests that Athens became the leader because of the arrogant and harsh behaviour of the Spartan king Pausanius towards the Ionians and other Greeks. His behaviour caused resentment among the Ionians, who made suggestions to Athens that the letter should assume leadership. Thucydides stre

Naxos, one of the largest islands in the Aegean and an important ship contributing city-state to the league wished to depart and revolted in 469. The revolt was put down by siege and Naxos lost it’s autonomy. Although the harshness of the treatment the League had the right to insist that member fulfil its obligation, as once it joined it’s contribute became compulsory. Naxos was the first city-state to revolt. It showed that Athens, as the leader of the league, would not hesitate to use the League’s force to make sure the obligations of the League were fully met. The battle of Eurymedon took place in 468. The coast of Caria south was still ruled by Persian’s. The Persians had a large fleet and army at the mouth of the Eurymedon River in Pamphylia. Cimon decided to undertake the large fleet in the most costly and ambitious campaign in hopes that the Persians would suffer a big blow and never enter the Aegean again. He inflicted a crushing defeat on the Persian navy and captured eighty Phoenician ships that were to reinburst the Persian navy. This was Cimon’s greatest victory and justified the existence of the League. The league had carried out it’s objective by freeing the Greek cities and towns under Persian control, by making the Aegean secure from attacks and by capturing the Persians wealth and resources.

For the first time a conflict between league members involved a Peloponnesian state, namely Sparta.

After the humiliation and ostracism on Cimon and the weakening of the conservatives as a result of Ephiales’ attack on the powers of council of the Areopagus, the democrats gained power in Athens and set on an aggressive imperial policy which involved;

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