Alastair Blanshard

That's in the center of the Aegean. Well, the center of Bicyclades. And this league was going to protect all of the Greeks from the Persians. Now, in order to run the league, you'd have to make contributions. And of course, Athens controls the league. And it's through the league, through this kind of protection basically,

with the claim that we're going to defend you against the Persians, that Athens dominates all the city-states. Once you sign up for the Delian League, you can't get out of it. We see a number of city-states try and get out of it. Athens jumps on them, tears down their walls, commandeers their fleet, and establishes pro-Athenian governments in the city-state.

with the claim that we're going to defend you against the Persians, that Athens dominates all the city-states. Once you sign up for the Delian League, you can't get out of it. We see a number of city-states try and get out of it. Athens jumps on them, tears down their walls, commandeers their fleet, and establishes pro-Athenian governments in the city-state.

with the claim that we're going to defend you against the Persians, that Athens dominates all the city-states. Once you sign up for the Delian League, you can't get out of it. We see a number of city-states try and get out of it. Athens jumps on them, tears down their walls, commandeers their fleet, and establishes pro-Athenian governments in the city-state.

Well, yes, I think that's a very charitable view of it, or depending on what you think of NATO. But certainly, I mean, Athens is calling the shots. And really, I mean, I think whatever it was like in its initial phases, certainly by the mid-fifth century, it really is a tool of Athenian hegemony. They're using the empire to enforce their own will.

Well, yes, I think that's a very charitable view of it, or depending on what you think of NATO. But certainly, I mean, Athens is calling the shots. And really, I mean, I think whatever it was like in its initial phases, certainly by the mid-fifth century, it really is a tool of Athenian hegemony. They're using the empire to enforce their own will.

Well, yes, I think that's a very charitable view of it, or depending on what you think of NATO. But certainly, I mean, Athens is calling the shots. And really, I mean, I think whatever it was like in its initial phases, certainly by the mid-fifth century, it really is a tool of Athenian hegemony. They're using the empire to enforce their own will.

So there's increasing tensions from about the 450s onwards. And we see in particular city-states like Corinth really increasingly anxious about the rise of Athens. And Corinth naturally is upset about Athens because they're commercial rivals and they don't like the rise of Athens, which is using its military might to also affect a kind of economic hegemony over the Greek world.

So there's increasing tensions from about the 450s onwards. And we see in particular city-states like Corinth really increasingly anxious about the rise of Athens. And Corinth naturally is upset about Athens because they're commercial rivals and they don't like the rise of Athens, which is using its military might to also affect a kind of economic hegemony over the Greek world.

So there's increasing tensions from about the 450s onwards. And we see in particular city-states like Corinth really increasingly anxious about the rise of Athens. And Corinth naturally is upset about Athens because they're commercial rivals and they don't like the rise of Athens, which is using its military might to also affect a kind of economic hegemony over the Greek world.

Both of them are big naval powers. Corinth, located on the Gulf of Corinth, occupies a really important strategic place because it's where the Gulf of Corinth is by a small land bridge separating it from the Ionian Sea. They control this land bridge. This land bridge really is very important because one of the things it allows you to do is you can drag your ships over the land

Both of them are big naval powers. Corinth, located on the Gulf of Corinth, occupies a really important strategic place because it's where the Gulf of Corinth is by a small land bridge separating it from the Ionian Sea. They control this land bridge. This land bridge really is very important because one of the things it allows you to do is you can drag your ships over the land

Both of them are big naval powers. Corinth, located on the Gulf of Corinth, occupies a really important strategic place because it's where the Gulf of Corinth is by a small land bridge separating it from the Ionian Sea. They control this land bridge. This land bridge really is very important because one of the things it allows you to do is you can drag your ships over the land

from the Ionian Sea through to the Gulf of Corinth, and thereby avoid having to sail all around the Peloponnese. So it's strategically really important, commercially a very rich and wealthy city, and allied with Sparta. Its alliance with Sparta is what really is the trigger for the Peloponnesian War.

from the Ionian Sea through to the Gulf of Corinth, and thereby avoid having to sail all around the Peloponnese. So it's strategically really important, commercially a very rich and wealthy city, and allied with Sparta. Its alliance with Sparta is what really is the trigger for the Peloponnesian War.

from the Ionian Sea through to the Gulf of Corinth, and thereby avoid having to sail all around the Peloponnese. So it's strategically really important, commercially a very rich and wealthy city, and allied with Sparta. Its alliance with Sparta is what really is the trigger for the Peloponnesian War.

Sparta is really reluctant to go to war. They're a militaristic society, but they don't like going to war. The reason for that is that they're a culture which is based on dominating a huge land area and controlling a large amount of subservient helots or serfs. They can't afford to go away for too long, otherwise their serfs will revolt. Sparta really doesn't like going away on long campaigns.

Sparta is really reluctant to go to war. They're a militaristic society, but they don't like going to war. The reason for that is that they're a culture which is based on dominating a huge land area and controlling a large amount of subservient helots or serfs. They can't afford to go away for too long, otherwise their serfs will revolt. Sparta really doesn't like going away on long campaigns.

Sparta is really reluctant to go to war. They're a militaristic society, but they don't like going to war. The reason for that is that they're a culture which is based on dominating a huge land area and controlling a large amount of subservient helots or serfs. They can't afford to go away for too long, otherwise their serfs will revolt. Sparta really doesn't like going away on long campaigns.

They don't really like long battles either. Really, Sparta is a reluctant power to go into war. It's really actually only the kind of figures like Corinth driving them to war that I think leads to the outbreak of conflict.