The Delian League<span> (or Athenian </span>League<span>) was an alliance of Greek city-states led by Athens and formed in 478 BCE to liberate eastern Greek cities from Persian rule and as a defense to possible revenge attacks from Persia following the Greek victories at Marathon, Salamis, and Plataea in the early 5th century BCE.</span>
Athens used force to keep city-states from withdrawing from the league and <span>The purpose of the league was to keep Persia from conquering Greece.</span>
