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The Peloponnesian War
The Delian League
The end of the Persian Wars did not bring in its train the end of the Persian threat. Persian fleets still operated in the Aegean, Persian armies were still present in Asia Minor, and Persia had a number of allies still loyal to it among the Greek islands.
Athens' aim after Plataea was to drive the Persians from the Aegean Sea, but Sparta was not interested in this vigorous and distant foreign policy. So, leadership of the project fell naturally to Athens.
A league was formed in 477, with a common treasury (a war chest) at the sacred island of Delos. Athens was the dominant member and an Athenian was always to be admiral of the combined fleet. The other members contributed men and ships and money. Sparta was not a member. Because the treasury was kept at Delos, we call this the
Delian League.
The League was successful in its immediate aim of driving the Persians from the northern Aegean. By the later 470s, the League had cleared much of the southern Aegean, too, and some of the League's members began to consider the work complete.