Road to Self-DestructionMany circumstances led to the end of the Athenian Golden Age. Paradoxically, the formation of the Delian League marked the beginning of the end of the Athenian Golden Age. The same league that would prove instrumental in transforming Athens from a state to an empire ultimately played a role in its destruction. Athens' harsh treatment of other, weaker states served as an instigator of hatred and resentment. No state was strong enough to defend itself from pressure from Athens, as it had a highly fortified navy. As Athens became stronger, it also became harsher and unintentionally isolated itself from all other Greek states. I say involuntarily because they did it for their own benefit and power, I imagine that in their first meeting - the Peloponnesian League - there would have been an uproar of resentment, hatred and fire of vengeance against Athens. Consider that Athens, even after resigning the member states of the Delian League from member status to subject status, continued to charge them annual tributes. The states contributed part of their economic production to Athens and this did not benefit them in any way. We might say that by strengthening Athens (and its navy) they were buying protection from encroachment by potential foreign threats, but it must have been difficult for them to see it that way, when Athens was building expensive temples and architectural marvels using the league's treasury. Athens took advantage of these states and they all had that feeling of resentment in common. It must have been very easy for Sparta to convince other Greek states to join them in forming the Peloponnesian League. So now let's think about the first match of the Peloponnesian League. What do you see? I see anger, hatred, desire for revenge and lots and lots of energy to eradicate the Athenians from their lands. Let's delve into some details of the war. Athens had gold, it had ships and it had everything. To their detriment, however, the Spartans and the Peloponnesian League would have gained the favor of a new rival of Athens; the plague. When Sparta launched its attack, there was a huge migration of people deeper into Athens. Because of the congestion it must have caused, a massive plague spread that killed nearly a quarter of his army, sailors, thirty thousand citizens, and his military leader Pericles. In my opinion, chaos and the loss of the right leadership to lead the army were most likely the factor that led to the Athenian defeat. The Spartans were known to be great warriors and I have no doubt that they used this opportunity to their advantage. A disease-stricken city with a leaderless army would have been a training exercise for the Spartans. At the end of it all... From Empire to