The final victory must have seemed a miracle. A handful of independent cities, who were not prepared at all, and who hastily formed an alliance with enormous aversion, had humiliated the mighty Persian empire. Most people were filled with enthusiasm and self-confidence, but nothing was for sure yet. Athens was a heap of ruins, the colonies in Asia Minor had to be protected, and there was always the threat of another invasion.

Of course the Greeks expected that Sparta would continue its leadership, which it had during the wars. After the conquest of Mycale the Athenian fleet conquered the Thracian Chersonese, and this and other expeditions, for example against Byzantium, were lead by the Spartan Pausianus. However, the Spartans rather focused on controlling its Peloponesse, and it did not have a fleet like Athens. Yet it tried to built a big fleet itself, and it also tried to prevent Athens from rebuilding its citywalls, but when both failed everybody accepted that Athens was the major city of Hellas again.

Athens as leader of Hellas.

Now it was in the hands of Athens to protect and rebuild Hellas, and to make this all happen it formed an alliance in 478 which we now know as the Delian League. The alliance consisted of the Aeolian and Ionic colonies in Asia Minor, most of the islands in the Aegean, and the Greek cities in Chalcidice and the Thracian coast. The membership was for indeterminate time, and everybody had to support eachother when attacked. Combined actions had to be approved by a council in which every member had one seat, but in reality was this council completely dominated by Athens and did it not play any significant role.

This period was followed by several years of peace, but when Egypt revolted against the Persians Athens decided to sent 200 ships to help in the revolt. Unfortunately the Persians suppressed the revolt, and a large part of the Athenian expedition force was destroyed during this. Athens lost a lot of credibility because this, but a few years later Cymon convinced Athens again that attacks on Persia were necessary to prevent them from attacking Hellas. A fleet sailed of to Cyprus and won an important battle. This resulted in formal agreement that Persia would not attack Hellas and the colonies in Asia Minor as long as the Greeks did not attack Persia.