Illustrations of Greek Naval Warfare

Because Greek Naval Warfare required large groups of trained rowers, poleis that emphasized naval power saw an expansion in military personnel outside the traditional hoplite class. The polis that developed the largest fleet, Athens (with 20,000 to 30,000 citizen rowers) was faced with enfranchising a new, and unusually large, military class. Could this development be the underlying cause of democracy in Athens?

Description of Greek war ship, the trireme

• Modern reconstruction of ancient trireme (Greek navy)
• Relief showing the banks of oars

Trireme tactics

• Vase painting of trireme warfare
• Standard maneuver 1: the periplous
• Standard maneuver 2: the diekplous

Military=>Economic=>Social=>Political implications:

• better built and trained fleet rules the seas
• rule of seas equivalent to economic rule of region
• Athenians build walls to their port and rely on protecting/cultivating naval supply routes
• new class of 20,000 to 30,000 rowers rise in prestige
• traditional "middle" class of hoplites lose prestige
• wealthy class of trierarchs (private suppliers of ships) increase prestige
• political structures adjust to new class structure (democracy?)
• naval empire creates sudden changes: new wealth, power, and social flux