|
|
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_athenian_navy.html The Athenian Navy With thousands of kilometers of coastline and hundreds of islands, the Greek world was likely to be dominated only by a naval power. A generation after the establishment of democracy ... The fleet was made up of triremes, wooden warships that carried 170 rowers manning three banks of oars. The ships were 100-120 feet long and about 20 feet wide. At her peak, Athens had a fleet of 400 ships, a force requiring close to 80,000 men. ... With the three tiers of rowers that give the trireme its name, the ship acted as an oar-powered battering ram manned by highly trained and disciplined rowers. Oared ships appear on Athenian vases from the 8th to the 5th century B.C., and several of the 372 shipsheds that lined the harbors of the Piraeus have been excavated. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/factional_politics.html Factional Politics: The Ostracism of Themistokles A group of ostraka found together in a pit on the North Slope of the Acropolis is of special interest. There were 190 ostraka, mostly the round feet of ... When a great find of silver was made in southern Attica, it was he who convinced the Athenians not to distribute the money among themselves but to spend it building a great fleet of 200 triremes (war ships). These ships proved crucial in the decisive victory of the Greek fleet over the Persians at Salamis in 480 B.C., as did Themistokles' own guile in tricking the Persians into fighting in the narrow straits. |
http://agathe.gr/democracy/the_council_and_magistrates.html The Council and the Magistrates Like selection for military service, allotment to the Council was organized according to the division by tribes; 50 members from each tribe acted as a unit in the Council ... In addition to preparing legislation for the Assembly, the Council checked the qualifications of newly allotted officials, tried magistrates accused of mismanaging funds, inspected cavalry and ships, and worked with various boards. |
|
|