est military to
the greatest naval power in Greece; and the latter, on assuming command,
at once took steps to procure the means which would enable her to carry,
out her task thoroughly. She brought about the formation of a permanent
league between the Asiatic Greeks and those of the islands. Each city
joining it preserved a complete autonomy as far as its internal affairs
were concerned, but pledged itself to abide by the advice of Athens
in everything connected with the war against the Persian empire, and
contributed a certain quota of vessels, men, and money, calculated
according to its resources, for the furtherance of the national cause.
The centre of the confederation was fixed at Delos; the treasure held
in common was there deposited under the guardianship of the god, and the
delegates from the confederate states met there every year at the solemn
festivals, Athens to audit the accounts of her administration, and
the allies to discuss the interests of the league and to decide on the
measures to be taken against the common enemy.

Oriental empires maintain their existence only on condition of being
always on the alert and always victorious. They can neither restrict
themselves within definite limits nor remain upon the defensive, for
from the day when they desist from extending their area their ruin
becomes inevitable; they must maintain their career of conquest, or they
must cease to exist. This very activity which saves them from downfall
depends, like the control of affairs, entirely on the ruling sovereign;
when he chances to be too indolent or too incapable of government, he
retards progress by his inertness or misdirects it through his want of
skill, and the fate of the people is made thus to depend entirely on the
natural disposition of the prince, since none of his subjects possesses
sufficient authority to correct the mistakes of his master. Having
conquered Asia, the Persian race, finding itself hemmed in by
insurmountable obstacles--the sea, the African and Arabian deserts, the
mountains of Turkestan and the Caucasus, and the steppes of Siberia--had
only two outlets for its energy, Greece and India. Darius had led
his army against the Greeks, and, in spite of the resistance he had
encountered from them, he had gained ground, and was on the point of
striking a crucial blow, when death cut short his career. The impetus
that he had given to the militant policy was so great that Xerxes was
at first carried