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Rowing for
Democracy
“Athens will be unsinkable, a city
that shall tame the waves of the sea”
Oracle of Delphi
The Athenian
navy is born!
The land of Attica although surrounded by sea
did not take advantage of its particular geomorphology until the beginning of the 5th century BC. The navy of Athens numbered only
70 ships, even though raiders did threaten its
land at various points in time. In 483 BC, a new
vein of silver was discovered in the mines of
Lavrion. In these instances, the State normally offered 1/10 of the silver to the gods and
shared the rest amongst the citizens. Themistocles, a brilliant Athenian politician, proposed to the Athenians to set aside their personal interest and to think based on the best
interests of their city. If they were to use the
silver to build 100 new triremes, they would
make a great naval force that would significantly strengthen the defences of their city.
Themistocles
2
Almost 10 years had passed since the battle at
Marathon and the Persian threat was still on
the horizon… Finally thanks to his exceptional
skills as an orator, Themistocles convinced the
Assembly to pursue this ambitious endeavour.
Athens immediately began preparations to
build the new fleet. Oak trees, pine trees, fir
trees, linden trees and elm trees were expertly cut down night and day. These trees were
soon to be transformed into the new ships of
Athens. When the shipbuilding was complete,
one hundred triremes gleamed in the bay of
Phaleron. The Athenians were full of pride!
Their city was ready to tackle the Persians!
The new fleet of Athens was now ready.
Athenian trireme
3
“… all-seeing Zeus, grants to Athens, city born of the
River Triton, that only the wall of wood shall not
fall and shall protect you and your children”
Oracle of Delphi
The naval
battle of
Salamis
The Athenian envoys set out on a journey
towards the navel of the earth, the sacred
land of Delphi to consult the oracle about
how to tackle the Persian danger. The first
divination by Pythia was very discouraging
for the Athenians. So they sought a second
more favourable divination. And that is how
it happened… Themistocles interpreted the
divination to suit the plan that he had in
mind: a clash at sea. The wooden wall was
none other than the brand new triremes
that would confront the Persians protecting
not only Athens, but also the other Greek
cities. Following the glorious defeat of the
Men rowing in Paralos
4
Strike me if you like,
but listen to me!
Greeks at Thermopylae, Themistocles knew
that the Persian army would shortly reach
At some point in the council
held just before the naval
battle of Salamis, Eurybiades
commander of the Greek fleet
disagreed with Themistocles
about the location of the
naval battle. At some point
Eurybiades lost his temper
and attempted to strike him.
Themistocles courageously
said: “Strike me if you like,
but listen to me”. This is how
a phrase was born that is still
Athens. He had to act fast to defend the
city. The unarmed populace of Athens
sought refuge on the island of Salamis. The
city was deserted and only the elderly and
those unable to leave remained. The allies
reinforced the Athenian fleet by sending
approximately 178 triremes. That brought
the Greek’s naval force to about 378
triremes, while the Persians had 1207 ships.
Themistocles was farsighted and reasoned
that the battle had to take place in the
straits of Salamis. There the Persian fleet
would lose the advantage of its numerical
superiority and would find it difficult to
control its large and heavy ships. On the
contrary, the triremes of the Greeks, with
their light hulls, could easily navigate the
narrow straits and make more manoeuvres.
used today.
5
The naval battle took place 28-29 September
of 480 BC, a milestone in ancient Greek
history. The Greeks won a resounding
victory! Xerxes followed the naval battle
from mount Aegaleo and could not believe
that a small number of Greek ships were able
to defeat his experienced fleet. After their
victory, the Athenians sought to thank the
gods and dedicated a six-meter bronze statue
of Apollo made out of the rams of the ships
and the weapons of the enemy.
Olympias Trireme
6
“It is only just that the poor and the people have more
than the aristocrats and the rich, as the people propel
the ships and give strength to the city”
Pseudo-Xenophon the Orator, Constitution of the Athenians, 1.2
The importance
of the victory
at Salamis
The one hundred triremes built before the
naval battle of Salamis needed seventeen
thousand rowers. The thetes, i.e. citizens
belonging to the lowest social class without
the money to buy their own weapons, were
recruited to man the new ships. The thetes,
as they did not have property of their own,
were forced to work as tenant-farmers on
fields belonging to others to earn a bit of
money. The new situation resulting after
the naval battle of Salamis brought about
important political and social changes. The
entire navy was now dependent on the
thetes. This was the first time that simple
citizens, and especially those of the lowest
social class, linked their fate with the fate
of Athens. The golden age depended on
the thetes rowing the Athenian triremes,
which sailed every inch of the Greek seas.
7
All citizens irrespective of social class would
time they were all equal and had a common
man the triremes, most of them as oarsmen,
goal: victory over the Persians. Thoughts,
as everybody had to help the city in its
fears, tiredness and exhaustion were shared
hour of need. The hippeis initially reacted to
by all. All were equal and united before the
this proposal, as they did not want to row
common danger. Democracy started being
with the citizens of the lower social classes.
cultivated on the decks of ships and would
However, thanks to the intervention of
soon spread to the shore and actually the
Kimon the dissatisfied hippeis finally gave
land of Attica. The significance of the Greek
in. Everyone was mobilized in the effort to
victory was great and indeed definitive in
save the city. Even the hoplites had set their
the course of history. If the Persians had ever
spears and shields aside and rowed side by
conquered the Greeks, perhaps history would
side with thetes and the hippeis. For the first
have played out differently…
8
List
of images
p.2: Themistocles. Free rendering of the
bust of Themistocles, ca. 528-462 BC,
Rome, Museo Archeologico Ostiense
p.3 (top): Map of ancient Attica.
p.4 (bottom): The Athenian trireme. Free rendering of a model of the Deutsches Museum in
Munich
p.6: Men rowing the Paralos. Detail of a relief,
ca. 410-400 BC, Athens, Acropolis Museum
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MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORT
GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF ANTIQUITIES AND CULTURAL HERITAGE
DIRECTORATE OF MUSEUMS
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND COMMUNICATION
Project coordinator: Maria Lagogianni, Ph.D. archaeologist
Souzana Choulia - Kapeloni, archaeologist
General editors: Tonia Koutsouraki, archaeologist
Alexandra Seleli, archaeologist/museologist
Graphic Design editor: Spilios Pistas, graphic artist
Text: Elena Fragkaki, archaeologist
Translation into English: Katerina Apostolaki, Translator - Interpreter
Graphic Design: Sophia Deligiannii, graphic artist
Illustration: Elias Karras, artist (page 2)
Copyright © 2015 MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORT
ΙSBN: 978-960-386-208-6
The leaflet “Rowing for Democracy” for the theme “Democracy and Classical Education” was created and digitised in 2015, within the framework of Action code no. MIS 339815 “Updating and digitizing educational material
to support the educational process, which is implemented by the Directorate of Museums as part of the Operational Programme “Education and Lifelong Learning” and jointly funded by the European Union (European
Social Fund) and national resources.