Delian League

Delian League, confederacy of Greek states formed by Athens in 478 B.C. to follow up the Hellenic League's victories against Persia. It was nominally governed by a council in which each member state had one vote but was in fact dominated by Athens. After success against Persia, Athens began to turn the league into an empire, subjugating reluctant states such as Naxos. The league endured until 404 B.C., when Athens was defeated by Sparta in the Peloponnesian War. A second Delian League was founded in 378 B.C. It was crushed by Philip II of Macedon in 338 B.C.

See also: Athens; Greece, Ancient.