# Delian League and Athenian Empire The Delian League began as a Greek naval alliance against Persia and became the basis of Athens' fifth-century BCE maritime empire. Allied contributions and Athenian command helped finance and sustain the power associated with [[wiki/Periclean Athens|Periclean Athens]]. The league's imperial turn is part of the historical setting for both Athenian achievement and conflict among Greek city-states. This is the relevant ancient Athenian empire; it should not be merged into the later [[wiki/Macedonian Empire|Macedonian Empire]] or treated as a sovereign predecessor of the modern [[wiki/Hellenic Republic|Hellenic Republic]]. ## Source - [Athenian naval alliance and empire](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/252472), Metropolitan Museum of Art.