The Classical Age of Greece begins with the Persian War (490-479 B.C.) and ends with the death of Alexander the Great (323 B.C.). Besides war and conquest, in this period, the Greeks produced great literature, poetry, philosophy, drama, and art. In 461 BC, the Spartans began a campaign against the Athenians, which started the First Peloponnesian War. The Athenians dominated the war in its early years, but a disastrous campaign against the Persians in Egypt destroyed the Athenian navy and inspired several members of the Delian League to revolt. Reeling from the Egyptian defeat and the various rebellions, Athens made peace with the Spartans. In 449 BC, Athens stopped the war with Persia that it had been aggressively pursuing since 478 BC.
             The Athenian empire, though, which was maintained not so much through good will as through the threat of force, began to fray at the edges. In 445 BC, Pericles diverted disaster by making a thirty-year peace with Sparta. Both sides got they wanted. Athens gave up political power over the states on the Greek mainland; in return, Sparta recognized the Athenian Empire as a legitimate political institution. The Athenian Empire, which had been gradually forming, was now official.
             Before the peace with Sparta, Athens benefited from the taxes paid into the League and began growing quite wealthy; after the peace, the Athenians moved the treasury to Athens and began keeping one sixtieth of all the revenue. The Athenians began to grow especially wealthy. The League, after all, was no longer at war with Persia, but the tribute money kept rolling in. As Athens grew more and more powerful, and the city grew more affluent, discontent grew among the tribute states. However, the Spartans, in particular, grew increasingly distrustful of Athenian power and wealth. They had agreed to recognize the Athenian Empire in exchange for Athens giving up claims to continental territories; however, it was becoming apparent th...