The Power of Athens

Ancient Athens

            How did a small Greek city become one of the most influential civilizations in history? Athens survived the Dark Ages, a time period where civilization was terrorized by the “Sea Peoples”; it later became one of the greatest empires in history.  This powerful civilization was known for its strong economy, which was based on taxation of its richest citizens and collected tribute from its allied Greek cities. Athens was a dominant naval power in the Mediterranean, partially because of the Trireme. This wealthy city founded Democracy; many of its ideas were later used and considered in the founding of the United States. The Athenian Empire became a dominant force due to its strong economy, powerful navy, and development of democracy.

Athenian Economy

Athens had an extremely strong economy and a progressive taxation system. This influential city spent 160 grams of silver at its height per person, per year, in a population of 250,000 people[1].  This meant that the Athenian government spent an enormous quantity of silver for any period of time until the Industrial Revolution and this meant that it was generationally rich. Athens had a progressive tax system; it typically only taxed the richest citizens [2]. This aligns it with modern-day systems. It also meant that there was a large wealth divide in Athens. According to Hansvan’s analysis, it is not obvious that Athens is a city-state; instead, it may have been an empire[3]. The Athenian Empire may have reached a peak of over 400,000 people in the 5^th century[4]. This is a significant compared to civilizations for centuries afterward. This displays that Athens was a legitimate force in the Mediterranean with significant influence on regional affairs. This empire had a strong economy at the time compared to nearby rivals; however, it also had a significant naval force.

Athenian Naval Power

 Athens was a significant naval power in the Mediterranean by 484 BCE. The Athenian Empire built 200 ships for the Battle of Salamis, which occurred in 480 BCE[5]. Their possession of 200 ships is considered a significant number of vessels even today, which showed that Athens was a premier naval power. Athenian ships were called Triremes and had three rows of rowers. Put more why they are good. Triremes were the standard Greek ship in the Mediterranean, giving them a momentous advantage over local rivals. Ancient Greek triremes were better than non-Greek options. Ancient Greek Triremes could be picked up by 140 men, which showcased that they were light enough to be manhandled. They also had three sets of oars that rowed the boat.[6] This meant that Athenian ships could be moved on land. Triremes were preferably built with fir tree timber.[7] The preferred wood was first fir, then pine. The quality of the wood was very important because even with good wood, sometimes ships got waterlogged. Athenian Triremes were rowed typically by 170 men.[8] This displays that it needed a large population to man the navy. A standard Greek Trireme was 37meters/121 feet long and 5.5 meters/18 feet wide at outrigger level. [9] This showcased that Greek ships were enormous. By the time of the Roman Empire, Triremes were exchanged for Biremes for the most part (two rows rather than three). Triremes could reach up to 15 miles per hour. [10] Greek Triremes being able to reach 15 miles an hour is important because it allowed them to trade, transport their military, and supply their army. The Athenian naval power was profound. They were dominant in the Mediterranean navally while the Spartans were dominant on land. It needed a strong naval force to defend the world's first Democracy.

Athenian Democracy

Athens founded democracy in the late 6^th century due to the existence of previously long-lasting tyranny. The Greek god of Athens was Athena, the god of wisdom and the crafts.[11] Athena who was also a strong strategic figure, is a great metaphor for Athens, who was spiritually protected by Athena. Cleisthenes, an Athenian politician invented Democracy in the late 6^th century because of the “tyranny” of Solon.[12] He was doing it in his own interest to save himself and Athens. He created constitutional and legal principles that are still considered today. These constitutional principles were the basis for the first total democracy in world history. Athens had a much smaller population compared to the modern-day world. They were able to arrange all of the citizens in one place to vote on measures and decide government business. [13] The Athenian Empire arranged for all of its eligible male citizens to vote.[14] An ecclesia is a public assembly of citizens in Greek city-states. This showed that ancient Greeks viewed society as consequential to the greater city's good. This meant that it functioned very differently compared to modern-day politics. The Athenian “council” was a body of citizens 30 years or older who reunited to vote and run Athens.[15] Athens had an agora at the center of Athens, or a public city center where people assembled, which is where all Athenian life originated. [16] The Agora was where Greek life happened. Inns, shops, and festivals, it was quite literally the meeting place. While originally a place where soldiers met to prepare for battle or hear a royal proclamation, it grew into a bustling marketplace and the center of social life for ancient Greek citizens.  Athens was home to one of the most important agoras, considered a holy site on the Panathenaic Way, famously housing the Temple of Hephaestus, along with temples to Zeus, Athena, Ares, and Apollo. Athenian Democracy was defended by hoplites, heavily armored spear troops that were not mobile but highly effective. This meant that when the Greeks were fighting, they were hard to defeat. Athenian Democracy was very different from the modern-day world; however, it was the foundation of the Roman Republic and Western democracy.

            Athens was a very wealthy city in the Mediterranean for much of its “golden years.” Athens was a leader in the ancient world with a superb navy built of Triremes. Athens founded the first world Democracy to govern a rather ungovernable situation. Athens was a leading economic, naval, and Democratic power. Athens’ Democratic ideals can still be seen in Western Democracies. 

Bibliography

 Triremes.s, Hans van. 2013. Ships and Silver, Taxes and Tribute : A Fiscal History of Archaic Athens. I.B. Tauris. https://doi.org/10.5040/9780755624027.

Fields, Nic. Ancient Greek Warship: 500–322 BC. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2007.

Rodgers, Nigel. The Complete Illustrated History of Ancient Greece. London: Hermes House, 2013.

Everitt, Anthony. The Rise of Athens: The Story of the World’s Greatest Civilization. New York: Random House, 2016.

Thucydides. The War of the Peloponnesians and the Athenians. Translated by Jeremy Mynott. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013.

[1] Hans van Wees, Ships and Silver, Taxes and Tribute: A Fiscal History of Archaic Athens (London: I.B. Tauris, 2013), https://doi.org/10.5040/9780755624027 pg. 1

[2] Ibid pg. 2

[3] Ibid Pg. 8

[4] Ibid pg.15

[5] Ibid pg. 3

[6] Nic Fields, Ancient Greek Warship: 500–322 BC (Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2007). Pg. 6

[7] Ibid pg. 10

[8] Ibid pg. 13

[9] Nigel Rodgers, The Complete Illustrated History of Ancient Greece (London: Hermes House, 2013). Pg. 210

[10] Ibid. pg. 211

[11] Rodgers, Complete Illustrated History of Ancient Greece, pg. 68

[12] Anthony Everitt, The Rise of Athens: The Story of the World’s Greatest Civilization (New York: Random House, 2016). Pg. 97

[13] Ibid pg. 99.

[14] Rodgers, Complete Illustrated History of Ancient Greece, pg. 68.

[15] Ibid pg. 69

[16] Ibid pg. 100