ATHENIAN WARFARE
Athens was one of the best Greek city-states at sea warfare. Whilst Sparta was a formidable force on land, Athens ruled the sea. Whilst other sea-warfare city-states such as Aegina, Corinth and Rhodes all had large amounts of ships, the biggest fleet was at Athens, which could amass up to 200 triremes at its peak.
The trireme was a light wooden ship which was highly maneuverable. Thirty-five
meters long and with a 5 meter beam, some 170 rowers sitting on three levels could propel the ship up to a speed of 9 knots. The principal tactic in naval warfare was ramming not boarding, which the large bronze battering ram at the bow of the ship enabled the Athenian forces to do. Triremes were expensive to make and extremely difficult to maintain, as there was no room for living quarters, meaning the ship had to dock each night.
Religion and ritual were important features of Greek life, and before embarking on campaign, the will of the gods had to be determined. This was done through the consultation of oracles, such as the Delphi Oracle for example. Animal sacrifices were also used, as well the reading of omens. Fighting could be prohibited on certain occasions such as religious festivals.
The trireme was a light wooden ship which was highly maneuverable. Thirty-five
meters long and with a 5 meter beam, some 170 rowers sitting on three levels could propel the ship up to a speed of 9 knots. The principal tactic in naval warfare was ramming not boarding, which the large bronze battering ram at the bow of the ship enabled the Athenian forces to do. Triremes were expensive to make and extremely difficult to maintain, as there was no room for living quarters, meaning the ship had to dock each night.
Religion and ritual were important features of Greek life, and before embarking on campaign, the will of the gods had to be determined. This was done through the consultation of oracles, such as the Delphi Oracle for example. Animal sacrifices were also used, as well the reading of omens. Fighting could be prohibited on certain occasions such as religious festivals.