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Abstract

This dissertation investigates the historical development of interstate treaties in the Classical Greek world from the formation of the Delian League up to the King’s Peace with a particular focus on the hegemonic powers of the era, Athens and Sparta. The study analyzes a large collection of individual treaties in their historical and diplomatic context in order to investigate how the treaties influenced and were influenced by the geopolitical shifts of the fifth and early fourth centuries BCE. The dissertation also examines six critical dimensions of treaty-making: terminology, negotiation processes, duration, publication practices, religious rituals, and the evolving concept of autonomy. Through a combined chronological and thematic approach, the work argues that treaties were active agents in historical change rather than mere reflections of military outcomes.