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Athenian walls
My diorama is made mainly for the purpose of showing the length and shape of the great Athenian walls. I have also incorporated several small blocks to show (byapproximations from maps) the positions of the major buildings during the second century after Christ. Around 480 BC Athens, along with the combined efforts of the rest of Greece, had finally rid itself of the Persian threat by destroying their fleet and land army. Although the Persian king had no current army Athens decided that it wanted to form a closer military alliance with some of the island and coastal cities, in case the Persians rebuilt and attacked again. Eventually the league was formed, but ironically the Persians never attacked again. The formation of this league (the Delian League) shifted a lot of the other city's resources to Athens, including the treasury. Since Athens had the biggest harbor and was a large city with the best builders, many of the league's ships were constructed in Athens and kept there. After many years of peace with the Persians the league's cities were looking to break up, all exept Athens. When the League told their plan to Athens, they were threatened with the very ships that they had financed. Athens felt strongly that they should keep the league together because it was financing projects (in Athens), like the building of the great walls.
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Chris
