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Accusations rose against Pausanias until Sparta finally recalled him.
And into the waiting arms of Athens, the allies willingly came.
The Athenians formed a new alliance: the Delian League.
Each year, its members would send Athens either money or ships for the common defense.
Most chose coin — and so from many small streams, a torrent of wealth began to flow into Athens.
Athenian power now surpassed even Themistocles’ most ambitious dreams:
from a hastily assembled fleet to mastery of a mighty league.
You might imagine that Themistocles would be terrifically popular after all of this —
but that’s not how things work in Athens. His jealous rivals stood by, plotting his fall.
And as the years went on, Athens too incurred the suspicion of her allies.
With the Persian threat repelled, they asked, why should they continue to pay their tribute to Athens?
The winds of the Aegean were thick with discontent.