HOW ATHENS ROSE FROM ITS ASHES. 189

among the cities of Greece. It all flowed naturally
from her eminence in the Persian war. During that
war there had been a league of the states of Greece,
with Sparta as its accepted leader. After the war
the need of being on the alert against Persia con-
tinued, and Greece became in great part divided into
two leagues,—one composed of Sparta and most of
the Peloponnesian states, the other of Athens, the
islands of the archipelago, and many of the towns of
Asia Minor and Thrace. This latter was called the
League of Delos, since its deputies met and its treasure
was kept in the temple of Apollo on that island.

This League of Delos developed in time to what
has been called the Athenian Empire, and in this
manner. Each city of the league pledged itself to
make an annual contribution of a certain number of
ships or a fixed sum of money, to be used in war
against Persia or for the defence of members of the
league. The amount assessed against each was fixed
by Aristides, in whose justice every one trusted. In
time the money payment was considered preferable to
that of ships, and most of the states of the league con-
tributed money, leaving Athens to provide the ficet.

In this way all the power fell into the hands of
Athens, and the other cities of the league became
virtually payers of tribute. This was shown later
on when some of the island cities declined to pay.
Athens sent a flect, made conquest of the islands,
and reduced them to the state of real tribute payers.
Thus the league began to change into an Athenian
dominion.

In 459 Bc. the treasure was removed from Delos