Page:A General Sketch of Political History from the Earlist Times.djvu/66

 54 THE GLORY OF GREECE AND RISE OF ROME In the first hour of triumph there was a strong disposition on the part of the Greeks to follow up the victory, and carry the war 4. The Glory mt0 the dominions of the great king. During the of Athens. wa r Athens had played the most heroic part among all the Greek states, but she had also suffered the most. Her territory had been ravaged, her city and its fortifications had been The War after wasted by the invader. Inspired by the energy of Plataea. Themistocles, the Athenians rebuilt and refortified their city and port, before the Spartans, who would have liked to keep the rival city open to attack, discovered what was going on. Sparta, which had always been recognised as a sort of president in the league of the Hellenes, still supplied the Greeks with a leader in the person of Pausanias, who had held the command at Plataea. In a short time, however, it became apparent that Pausanias was seeking his own personal aggrandisement. A change became necessary. The war was still a naval war, and it was obvious that the Athenians were entitled to the leadership by the brilliant services which their fleet had rendered. The Spartans were not adepts at maritime warfare, and they assented to the principle that Athens should be recognised as the leader by sea while Sparta remained the leader by land. A League then was formed which included nearly all the Greek maritime states and islands in the Aegean Sea. The The Deiian purpose of the League was to secure the liberty of League. every Greek state. Athens was the presiding state of the League ; and Delos, the island sacred to Apollo, was the treasurer state which gave its name to the League. Each of the states which joined it was bound to supply ships and men at a fixed rate for the united navy, or if it failed to do so, to provide money that the deficiency might be supplied from else- where. The Athenians would have the command of the united navy. This arrangement was made chiefly owing to the confidence felt by every one in the great Athenian Aristides, who was called The Just. Afterwards, the great power of Athens grew out of this League in this way. The states belonging to this League who were less energetic and adven- turous preferred to pay for ships and men instead of themselves providing them. Athens was always ready to supply the extra