The ancient world, from the earliest times to 800 AD . rganizingher neighbors intoa military ^o fifths of thePeloponnesus sheruled directly (La-conia and Mes-senia), and therest (except Argo-lis and Achaea) formed a confederacy for war, with Sparta asthe head. It is true the union was very slight. On special occasions,at the call of Sparta, the states sent delegates to a conferenceto discuss peace or war; but there was no constitution, nocommon treasury, not even a general treaty to bind the statestogether. Indeed, one city of the league sometimes made warupon another. Each state was b
The ancient world, from the earliest times to 800 AD . rganizingher neighbors intoa military ^o fifths of thePeloponnesus sheruled directly (La-conia and Mes-senia), and therest (except Argo-lis and Achaea) formed a confederacy for war, with Sparta asthe head. It is true the union was very slight. On special occasions,at the call of Sparta, the states sent delegates to a conferenceto discuss peace or war; but there was no constitution, nocommon treasury, not even a general treaty to bind the statestogether. Indeed, one city of the league sometimes made warupon another. Each state was bound to Sparta by its specialtreaty; and, if Sparta was attacked by an enemy, each city ofthe league was expected to maintain a certain number oftroops for the confederate army. Loose as this Peloponnesianleague was, it was the greatest war power in Hellas; and itseemed the one rallying point for disunited Greece in the comingstruggle (§ 130, close). Except for the presence of this warpower, few other Greeks would have dared to resist Persia at o states dependentupon Sparta. States in alliancewith Sparta. THE PELOPONNESIAN LEAGUE(500 ) 166 THE GREEKS —PERSIAN WARS [§163 OPENING OF THE STRUlrGLE IN IONIA 163. Conquest of the Ionian Greeks. — For two centuries before500 , the Asiatic Hellenes excelled all other branches ofthe Greek race in culture. Unfortunately for them, the em-pire of Lydia arose near them. That great state was un-willing to be shut off from the Aegean by the Greek cities,and it set out to conquer themo For some time, the little Greekstates kept their independence; but when the energetic Croesus(§ 70) became king of Lydia, he subdued all the cities on thecoast of Asia Minor. Croesus, however, was a warm admirerof the Greeks, and his rule over them was gentle. They wereexpected to acknowledge him as their over-lord and to pay. asmall tribute in money; but they were left to manage their ownaffairs at home, and were favored in many ways. When
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