How did athens dominate difference the delian league and create an empire?
The Delian League was started as an alliance of over 100 city states for the defence of Greece against the Persians. Athens was clearly the most powerful at first, and had the greatest say. Over time it co-opted more and power and resources from the other members. For example it moved the treasury from Delos (a non-aligned Island where it was originally based and named for) to Athens under Pericles, also originally membership “dues” where based on if a state could contribute ships, money, or soldiers, Athens later changed it to only giving money, which it used a sizable proportion of for its own building projects. Some of the more powerful members tried to revolt and break free from Athens, but Athens put them down forcibly, even going so far as to destroy the Poleis of Naxos. In short Athens turned the alliance into its own personal piggybank, corrupting it from an original purpose of defence against the Persians.
