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The Peloponnesian League was an alliance of states in the Peloponnese in the 6th and 5th centuries BC. By the end of the 6th century, Sparta had become the most powerful state in the Peloponnese, and was the political and military hegemon over Argos, the next most powerful state. Sparta acquired two powerful allies, Corinth and Elis, by ridding Corinth of tyranny, and helping Elis secure control of the Olympic Games. Sparta continued strategies like this to gain other allies in their league. Sparta defeated Tegea in a frontier war and offered them a permanent defensive alliance; this was the turning point for Spartan foreign policy.
Many other states in the central and northern Peloponnese joined the league, eventually it included all Peloponnesian states except Argos and Achaea. Spartan superiority was guaranteed when Sparta defeated Argos in battle in 546.
The league was organized with Sparta as the hegemon, and was controlled by the council of allies which was composed of two bodies. The first body was the assembly of Spartiates, and the Congress of Allies in which each allied state had one vote regardless of that state's size or geopolitcal power. No tribute was paid except in times of war, when one third of the military of a state could be requested. Only Sparta could call a congress of the League. All alliances were made with Sparta only, so the member states had to form their own alliances with each other. And although each state had one vote, Sparta was not compelled to abide by any resolutions the League might come to. Thus the Peloponnesian League was not an "alliance" in the strictest sense of the word (nor was it wholly Peloponnesian for the entirety of its existence).
The league provided protection and security to its members, and most importantly to Sparta. It was a very stable alliance, and supported Oligarchies and opposed tyrannies.
After the Persian Wars the League was expanded into the Hellenic League, including AthensAcropolis in central Athens is home to ancient monuments of Athens — a mainstay of its thriving tourism industry Athens ( Greek: Athina is the capital of Greece, and also the capital of the Attica region of Greece. A cosmopolitan modern city, Athens is al and other states. The Hellenic League was led by PausaniasPausanias was a Spartan general of the 5th century BC. He was responsible for the Greek victory over Mardonius and the Persians at the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC, and was the leader of the Hellenic League created after the end of the Persian Wars. In 478, but after he was recalled it was led by CimonCimon (died 450 BC?) was a major figure of the 470s BC and 460s BC in Athens, and the son of Miltiades. His mother was Hegesipyle, the daughter of Olorus the King of Thrace. His father died in jail because he was unable to pay the fine that was levied aga of Athens. Sparta withdrew and the Peloponnesian League was refounded with Sparta's original allies, while the Hellenic League turned into the Athenian-led Delian LeagueThe Delian League was an association of Greek city-states in the 5th century BC. As it was led by Athens, it is sometimes pejoratively referred to as the Athenian Empire . In 478 BC, following the defeat of Xerxes' invasion of Greece, Pausanias the Sparta. This might have been caused by jealousy from Sparta and its allies of the Athenians, who wanted to spread their rule like wildfire. The two Leagues eventually came into conflict with each other in the Peloponnesian WarThe Peloponnesian War was begun in 431 BC between the Athenian Empire and the Peloponnesian League which included Sparta and Corinth. The war was documented by Thucydides, an Athenian general, in his work History of the Peloponnesian War''. The war lasted.
