Jiang says the Delian League begins as an anti-Persian defense fund but becomes Athenian empire when Athens takes the treasury and demands tribute.
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Tribute
Jiang says early religious festivals honored animals, channeled their power and wisdom for hunting, appeased them, and made them friends rather than enemies.
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Key Notes
Jiang argues the Delian League became the Athenian Empire when Athens used force to prevent allies from leaving after Delian funds were taken.
Jiang interprets cave paintings as tribute and apology to animals whose bodies nourish humans and whose souls might otherwise seek vengeance.
Jiang says early religious festivals honored animals, channeled their power and wisdom for hunting, appeased them, and made them friends rather than enemies.
Timestamped Evidence
"so what he's saying is that we won because the gods favor us why do the gods favor us because we are virtuous because..."
"...a empire the Athenian empire where everyone now has to pay tribute to Athens okay so all that's happened is before these Greek city..."
"to pay tribute to the Persians and now they have to pay tribute to the Athenians okay it's probably a worse deal for everyone..."
"Okay? So, this is basically official corruption. Now, there are people in the upper nobility who thought what Pericles was doing was terrible for..."
"And, Pericles said, well, if you leave our league, we're going to come and invade you. So, Athens started this expansionist campaign in order..."
"...animals and we said this it's because they're trying to pay tribute to the animals right if i kill you i must thank you..."
"not themselves what they celebrate are the animals because it's the animals that give them life that give them nourishment and meat okay does..."
"And the one way to do that is by paying tribute to them. That's number one. Number two is that we can learn from..."
Relevant Lectures And Readings
A source-grounded reading of Jiang's Hellenistic World lecture: empire stabilizes itself into stagnation, borderlands beat it with energy and openness, Greece wins as a borderland, then becomes the empire whose universities, cities, and translations...
Greek history begins with geography, but it ends here as a theory of abundance, blocked status, and pointless war: when the line stops moving, the young do not overthrow the old order directly.
For most of human history, Jiang argues, humans were peaceful, egalitarian, and artistic because the forest, animals, ancestors, and spirit world were not scenery.
A source-grounded reading of the lecture's central reversal: agriculture was not an obvious leap into progress.
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