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After the defeat of the second Persian invasion in 478 BCE, Greek city-states formed an alliance known as the Delian League, led by Athens and based on the island of Delos. Initially a cooperative pact to resist Persia, the League gradually became a tool for Athens to build its wealth and naval power. Cities that tried to leave were violently suppressed and their lands confiscated, transforming the alliance into what many consider an Athenian Empire. Melvyn Bragg and guests explore how this shift reshaped the geopolitics of the classical world.
This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.
Highlights
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References
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The Birds and Other Plays — Aristophanes (trans. David Barrett and Alan H. Sommerstein) (2003)
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The Parthenon — Mary Beard (2010)
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Between ‘The Character of the Athenian Empire’ and The Origins of the Peloponnesian War (and beyond): The Popularity of the Athenian Empire Revisited — M. Canevaro and D. M. Lewis (2024) — article in Polis 41:1
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Ancient Greece: A Very Short Introduction — Paul Cartledge (2011)
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The Athenian Empire: Using Coins as Sources — Lisa Kallet and John H. Kroll (2020)
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Athenian Power in the Fifth Century BC — Leah Lazar (2024)
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The Athenian Empire — Polly Low (ed.) (2008)
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The Athenians and their Empire — Malcolm F. McGregor
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