In 460 BCE the Athenians were underway to carry out a mission—a raid on Cyprus to collect some more of the treasures of that island—when they was ordered by Perikles, after a voting process in Athens, to divert his fleet to Egypt. The objective was to give naval support to the Libyan ruler Inaros II, who was leading a revolt against the Persian presence in that area. Charitimides led the… Read more
The sacred triremes that are the subject of this post are the 5th and 4th century ships of Athens. They served in diplomatic missions, in sacred embassies, and took part in the boat races during festivals. They also served as scout and messenger ships, delivering official state messages, and when present in the line of battle they carried the admiral of the fleet. The Paralos was the most well-known. Read more
"Each captain drove his ship straight against some other ship... When ... our ships had been crowded in the narrows, ... and each crashed its bronze prow against each of its own line, they splintered their whole bank of oars." In 480 BCE, King Xerxes proceeded to Athens, after his victory at Thermopylae, and his naval forces moved southward for the final stroke. Athens, a young but powerful democracy, and… Read more
The Persian Wars culminated in the Greek victory in the Battle of Salamis, which secured the continued independence of the Greek city-states. This transitional period from Archaic to Classic Greece is characterized by the interdependent growth of naval power and of democracy. Read more
