Table of Contents
400 ships
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.
Did the Athenians have a good navy?
It’s true that the city-state of Athens developed a reputation as a naval power in the ancient world. Its fleet fluctuated in strength over the course of time. Yet more than many other early city-states in Ancient Greece, Athens relied upon a strong navy to defend itself from invasion.
Did Athens have a stronger navy than Sparta?
Sparta was leader of an alliance of independent states that included most of the major land powers of the Peloponnese and central Greece, as well as the sea power Corinth. Thus, the Athenians had the stronger navy and the Spartans the stronger army.
| Hellenic Navy | |
|---|---|
| Role | National defense |
| Size | c. 30,000 active personnel 120 warships & auxiliary boats, including: 13 frigates 11 submarines 19 missile boats 10 gunboats 9 tank-landing ships 6 patrol boats 4 SOC (Special Ops) 48 fleet support & other auxiliary ships 3 memorial ships 27 aircraft |
| Part of | Hellenic Armed Forces |
How big was the Athenian army?
Athens’ army went from a late sixth-century bc count of 3,600 armored spearmen to 13,000 citizen regulars on the rolls by 431 bc. Likewise, the Athenian fleet grew from 60 to 300 ships over the same period.
Why was Athens navy so strong?
Athens used money generated from their silver deposits to build ships and train the soldiers who would fight in the navy. The navy grew stronger and when the time came, Themistocles proved to be correct. The Athenian Navy was far superior to the Persian Navy.
How did Athenians fight?
While generally armed with javelins, they sometimes had spears, slings or bows. The attendants acted as skirmishers before the pitched battle and were assigned to guard the camp during the actual fight.
Does Greece have a good navy?
Greece has pockets of naval excellence. Its German-designed submarines are “almost undetectable by Turkish sonar”, says Emmanuel Karagiannis of King’s College London, and its nippy corvettes are armed with French Exocet missiles of the sort that wounded the Royal Navy in the Falklands war.
Greece entered World War II with a weak navy consisting of ten destroyers, two outdated battleships, two light cruisers and six submarines. On the eve of the Italian invasion in 1940, the RHN consisted of 34 ships and 6,500 men.
Was Athens military strong?
The Athenians kept pace with rising territorial commitments by greatly increasing the size of their military. Athens’ army went from a late sixth-century bc count of 3,600 armored spearmen to 13,000 citizen regulars on the rolls by 431 bc. Likewise, the Athenian fleet grew from 60 to 300 ships over the same period.
How did Athens support its navy?
Athens used money generated from their silver deposits to build ships and train the soldiers who would fight in the navy. Being in the Athenian Navy was a paid position. The navy grew stronger and when the time came, Themistocles proved to be correct. The Athenian Navy was far superior to the Persian Navy.
The Athenian Navy. At her peak, Athens had a fleet of 400 ships, a force requiring close to 80,000 men. These rowers, mainly drawn from Athens’ poorer citizens, were paid and were seldom slaves. These citizen oarsmen were recognized as early as the 5th century B.C. as a significant force in the maintenance of the democracy.
How big was the Athenian fleet of ships?
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. These rowers, mainly drawn from Athens’ poorer citizens, were paid and were seldom slaves.
What was the size of the Athenian triremes?
A generation after the establishment of democracy Athens became such a power under the influence of Themistokles. 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.
Are there any shipbuilding manuals from ancient Athens?
No shipbuilding manuals or documentation survived from ancient Athens or her sister cities in Greece. The trireme, a ship that ruled the Mediterranean, defeated the uncountable armies of Xerxes, and left its mark on naval technology for hundreds of years, seemed destined never to be seen again.