Why did smaller city-states resent Athenian control?

Answer 1

The Delian League was formed under Athenian leadership to keep the city-states of Asia Minor and the Islands free of Persian rule. When peace was made with Persia, Athens kept the League going and collected the war funds each year, by force if necessary. Athens moved the treasury from Delos to Athens and happily spent them on beautifying the city, putting half its own citizens on the public payroll, and kept a strong fleet going to collect the funds from the cities.

Pericles, a leader of Athens, admitted that Athens had converted the league to protect against the Persian Empire into an empire of its own.

Answer 2

After the Persians gave up trying to enforce peace within the Greek world, Athens turned the Delian League, which it had led against the Persian Empire for the last years of the war, into an empire of its own. The 180 city-states trapped within Athens' grasp and taxed to Athens' benefit, resented this. And Athens used the resources of this empire to try to expand its power over the remainder of the Greek city-states. This resulted in the devastating 27-year Peloponnesian war which Athens lost and was stripped of its empire.

Answer 3

About 180 city-states were incorporated into an empire established out of the Delian League which Athens had led in the later stage of the Persian War. Athens continued to enforce the war levy after peace was made with Persia, and lived high by spending this money on itself.

Using the power of this empire, Athens interfered in the affairs of the city-states not in its empire, alienating the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta, its overconfidence bringing on the devastating 27-year Peloponnesian War, which Athens lost and was stripped of its empire.