Second Athenian League

The Second Athenian Empire or Confederacy was a maritime confederation of Aegean city-states from 378 BC-355 BC and headed by Athens primarily for self-defense against the growth of Sparta and secondly, the Persian Empire. The formation of the confederacy was stimulated by the invasion of Attica by Sphodrias of Sparta and Sparta's refusal to prosecute him for his actions (according to Xenophon and Diodorus Siculus). It was extremely popular at first, with a number of states previously controlled by Sparta signing up as members, because of Sparta's increasing imperialism and disregard for the terms of the Peace of Antalcidas, which had stated that all Greek states other than those controlled by Athens (i.e. Lemnos, Imbros and Scyros) were to be autonomous. A 'prospectus' for the league was found on an inscription at Athens (Inscriptions Greques 2, 43) detailing the aims of the new league as wanting to make Sparta allow all the Greeks to be autonomous; how the states involved would have autonomy; and Athens was not permitted to own land in any of the states who were members; it seemed to promise that this would not turn out the same way as the earlier, fifth century Delian League. However after Sparta was defeated in 371 BC by Thebes at the Battle of Leuctra, there seemed to be no reason for the confederacy, as the terms set out in the prospectus had been achieved (see above), yet Athens did not want to give up her power over these states, so a series of revolts ending with the Social War (357-355 BC) put an end to the confederacy.

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