Welcome to Athens at War!
In this chapter, we are going to explore how one of the most famous cities in history—Athens—became a military superpower in the 5th century BC. While Athens is often remembered for beautiful statues and clever philosophers, it was actually built on the strength of its army and, most importantly, its navy.
We will look at how they recruited soldiers, the "high-tech" ships they used, and a massive battle that changed history. Don’t worry if some of the Greek names look a bit strange at first—we will break them down together!
1. Paying for War: Money and Men
Unlike modern professional armies, the Athenian military was made up of its own citizens. If you were an adult male citizen in Athens, being a soldier wasn't just a job; it was your duty.
How was it paid for?
War is expensive! Athens didn't have a modern tax system. Instead, they used something called liturgies.
Example: Imagine if the richest person in your town was legally required to pay for the local football stadium or a new fire engine. That is what a liturgy was like!
The most important liturgy was the trierarchy. This was where a very wealthy citizen (the trierarch) had to pay for the maintenance of a warship and pay the crew for a whole year. It was a way for the rich to show their patriotism and gain prestige.
Recruitment and Training
Athenians were divided into different classes based on how much money they had. This decided their role in the military:
1. The Middle Class: These men served as hoplites (infantry). They had to buy their own expensive bronze armour.
2. The Poorer Citizens (Thetes): These men couldn't afford armour, so they became the rowers in the navy.
3. Training: While not as intense as the Spartans, Athenian youths (aged 18-20) did two years of military training called the ephebeia.
- Citizens provided the manpower.
- Liturgies (like the trierarchy) provided the funding.
- The Thetes (poor) rowed; the Hoplites (middle class) fought on land.
2. Land Warfare: The Hoplite
The backbone of the Greek land army was the hoplite. These soldiers fought in a very specific way that relied on teamwork rather than individual heroics.
Equipment and Tactics
A hoplite’s gear was called a panoply. It included:
- Aspis: A large, circular wooden shield.
- Dory: A long thrusting spear (the main weapon).
- Cuirass: A breastplate made of bronze or layers of linen.
- Corinthian Helmet: A bronze helmet that covered most of the face (you can see a famous example of this dedicated to Zeus at Olympia in your visual sources!).
The Formation: Hoplites fought in a phalanx. This was a "human wall" of shields and spears, usually 8 ranks deep.
Analogy: Think of a phalanx like a giant game of "British Bulldog" where everyone is linked together. If one person runs away, the whole wall breaks!
To remember the basic kit, think of DASH:
D - Dory (Spear)
A - Aspis (Shield)
S - Sword (The backup weapon)
H - Helmet
3. Sea Warfare: The Trireme
If the army was important, the navy was the heart of Athens. Their secret weapon was a ship called the trireme.
What was a Trireme?
A trireme was a long, thin, wooden ship designed for speed and power. It had three banks of oars on each side, with about 170 rowers in total.
Did you know? You can see what these rowers looked like in the Lenormant Trireme relief, which shows the rowers sitting in their tiers.
Tactics at Sea
Greek naval warfare wasn't about shooting arrows; it was about ramming. The front of the trireme had a heavy bronze ram. The goal was to smash into the side of an enemy ship and sink it.
Key moves included:
- Diekplous: Rowing through a gap in the enemy line and smashing their oars.
- Periplous: Outflanking the enemy to hit them in the side or rear.
The navy used speed and manoeuvrability as weapons. Because the poor citizens (thetes) were the ones rowing, the navy made them feel very important to the city’s survival.
4. Command and Organization
Because Athens was a democracy, they didn't have a single King leading them into battle. Instead, they had a committee of ten generals called strategoi.
One general was elected from each of the ten tribes of Athens every year. This meant the army was always controlled by the people, not a dictator.
5. Impact on Politics and Society
This is a really important point for your exam: War changed Athenian society.
Before the 5th century, the rich had all the power because they provided the horses and armour. But once the navy became the most important part of the military, the poorest citizens (thetes) realized that the city couldn't win without them.
This led to the "rowers" demanding more say in how the city was run, which helped make Athens even more democratic.
6. Case Study: The Battle of Salamis (480 BC)
This was the "make or break" moment for Athens. The massive Persian Empire, led by King Xerxes, had invaded Greece.
Key Individuals
- Themistocles: The clever Athenian leader. He tricked the Persians into entering the narrow waters around the island of Salamis.
- Xerxes: The Persian King who watched the battle from a golden throne on a nearby hill (he was not happy with the result!).
- Artemisia: A female commander fighting for the Persians. She was so brave that Xerxes famously said, "My men have become women, and my women have become men!"
The Battle and Its Significance
Because the water was narrow, the huge Persian fleet couldn't move properly. The smaller, faster Athenian triremes rammed them into pieces.
Why it mattered:
1. It saved Greece from Persian rule.
2. It proved the Athenian navy was the best in the world.
3. It led to the "Golden Age" of Athens.
Commemoration
The Athenians were very proud of this victory. They showed it in their art, like the South Frieze of the Temple of Athena Nike, which depicts the Greeks fighting the Persians. It was a way of saying, "Look how brave we were!"
Quick Review Box: Common Mistakes to Avoid- Don't confuse the Hoplite (land) with the Thete (sea).
- Don't think the Trierarch was the captain—he paid for the ship, but a professional (the kybernetes) usually steered it.
- Don't forget that Themistocles was the mastermind behind the victory at Salamis.
Final Summary: Key Takeaways
Funding: Wealthy citizens paid for ships through liturgies.
Land: Hoplites fought in a phalanx using shields and spears.
Sea: Triremes used rowing power and bronze rams.
Politics: The importance of the navy gave more power to the poorer citizens.
Salamis: A turning point where Themistocles used the narrow straits to defeat the Persians.