Welcome to the "Pentekontaetia": Greece in Conflict (479–446 BC)

After the Greeks defeated the mighty Persian Empire in 479 BC, you might expect a time of peace and celebration. Instead, this period—often called the Pentekontaetia (the "Fifty Years")—was a time of intense transformation. We see the rise of the Athenian Empire, the breakdown of the alliance between Athens and Sparta, and the first major "hot" conflicts between Greek city-states.

Don't worry if the names and dates feel like a lot to take in. Think of this chapter as a story about power shifts: how the "liberators" of Greece (Athens) slowly became the "tyrants" of Greece, and how the old superpower (Sparta) became increasingly nervous about it.

1. The Consequences of Victory: Why Did Everything Change?

In 479 BC, the Greeks had just won the Battle of Plataea and the Battle of Mycale. The immediate problem was: What now? The Persians were gone from the mainland, but they still controlled many Greek islands and cities in Ionia (modern-day Turkey).

The Shift in Leadership:
Initially, Sparta led the "Hellenic League." However, the Spartan commander Pausanias behaved like a tyrant and was accused of medising (collaborating with the Persians). The other Greeks, especially the Ionians, found him unbearable. They turned to Athens for leadership because Athens had a massive navy and a shared Ionian heritage.

Key Evidence: The Serpent Column
The Serpent Column (originally at Delphi) is a vital piece of evidence from this time. It lists the Greek states that fought the Persians. It reminds us that victory was a collective effort, even if that unity was about to shatter.

Summary: Sparta retreated into its traditional isolation, leaving a "power vacuum" that Athens was more than happy to fill.

2. The Growth of Athenian Power: The Delian League

In 478/7 BC, the Delian League was formed. Its official purpose was to "ravage the King’s territory" (Persia) in revenge for the invasion.

How it worked:

  • Headquarters: The island of Delos (sacred to Apollo).
  • Contributions: Member states gave either ships or phoros (money/tribute). Aristeides "the Just" was the Athenian who first assessed how much each state should pay.
  • The Oath: Members dropped lumps of iron into the sea, swearing to stay in the League until the iron floated. (In other words: forever!)

From Alliance to Empire:

Athens slowly tightened its grip. Thucydides (our main source) explains that Athens became unpopular because they were "strict and harsh" in collecting money. If a city tried to leave, Athens used the League's own navy to crush them.

Important Examples:

  • Naxos (c. 471 BC): Tried to revolt but was besieged and forced back in.
  • Thasos (465–463 BC): Revolted over a dispute about gold mines. Athens besieged them for three years, tore down their walls, and confiscated their navy.

Memory Aid: Think of the Delian League like a neighborhood security subscription. At first, it's great protection, but eventually, you're not allowed to cancel the subscription, and the security company starts taking over your house!

3. The Turning Point: Earthquake and Helot Revolt (465–464 BC)

While Athens was expanding, Sparta faced a massive disaster. A huge earthquake hit Sparta, followed immediately by a massive helot revolt (the enslaved population of Sparta). The helots occupied Mount Ithome.

Sparta was desperate and asked Athens for help. The Athenian leader Cimon, who was pro-Spartan, convinced Athens to send 4,000 hoplites. However, once the Athenians arrived, the Spartans got scared. They worried the Athenians might actually side with the helots because of their "bold and revolutionary" nature.

The Snub: Sparta sent the Athenian army home while keeping their other allies. Athens felt deeply insulted. They immediately broke their alliance with Sparta and allied with Sparta's enemy, Argos. This was the "divorce" that led to war.

Key Takeaway: The helot revolt proved Sparta was vulnerable and destroyed the last bit of trust between Athens and Sparta.

4. The First Peloponnesian War (461–446 BC)

This wasn't the "Great" Peloponnesian War (which starts in 431 BC), but a series of smaller conflicts often called the First Peloponnesian War. It was mostly Athens vs. Sparta’s allies (like Corinth and Aegina).

Key Events to Know:

  • Megara’s Defection: Megara left the Peloponnesian League to join Athens. This gave Athens a strategic port and made Corinth (Megara's neighbor) furious.
  • The Long Walls: Athens began building massive walls connecting the city to its port, Piraeus. This made the city "island-like" and impossible to besiege.
  • The Battle of Tanagra (457 BC): The first time Athenian and Spartan armies fought directly in this period. Sparta won, but it was a "bloody victory" with many losses on both sides.
  • Enslavement of Aegina: Athens forced Aegina (the "eyesore of the Piraeus") into the Delian League.

Cessation of Hostilities with Persia (449 BC):
Around 449 BC, fighting with Persia mostly stopped. This is often called the Peace of Callias (though historians like Diodorus and Plutarch debate its exact details). If the Persian threat was gone, why did the Delian League still exist? This made Athenian "imperialism" even harder for other Greeks to justify.

5. The End of the Conflict: Invasion and Peace (446 BC)

By 446 BC, Athens was overstretched. They had lost control of Boeotia and faced revolts in Euboea. Sensing weakness, the Spartan King Pleistoanax led an invasion of Attica.

However, the invasion ended abruptly. Pericles (the great Athenian leader) allegedly bribed the Spartan King to go home. Shortly after, the Thirty Years' Peace was signed.

The Terms of the Peace:

  • Athens gave up its land empire (including Megara).
  • Sparta recognized the Athenian maritime empire.
  • Neither side was to interfere with the other’s allies.

Summary of 479–446 BC: This period saw Athens go from a heroic defender of Greece to an imperial power. The tension created by this growth, combined with Sparta's fear (paranoia) and internal troubles (the helots), set the stage for the total war that would follow years later.

Quick Review: Check Your Knowledge

Common Mistake to Avoid: Don't confuse the Hellenic League (the anti-Persian alliance) with the Delian League (the Athenian-led alliance). The Delian League was formed after the Persian invasion was mostly over.

Key Dates to Remember:

  • 478/7 BC: Formation of the Delian League.
  • 465/4 BC: Spartan Earthquake and Helot Revolt.
  • 461 BC: Cimon ostracized; Athens breaks with Sparta.
  • 449 BC: Hostilities with Persia end.
  • 446 BC: Invasion of Attica and the Thirty Years' Peace.

Did you know? The money for the Delian League was moved from the island of Delos to the Athenian Acropolis in 454 BC. This was the moment the alliance officially became the "Athenian Empire"—Athens was literally sitting on the mountain of money!