Ships and Sea-Power Before the Great Persian War: The Ancestry of the Ancient TriremeThis book presents a new theory about the developments in shipping and naval organization that culminated in the invention - around 530 BC in the eastern Mediterranean - of the trireme, and the subsequent adoption of this first specialized warship of antiquity by all the naval powers of the time. New interpretations are proposed of Greek and Assyrian iconographic data and of hitherto ignored evidence in Herodotos and Thukydides, the non-military factors determining developments are emphasized. Thukydides' fundamental essay on the genesis of Greek sea-powers is studied in depth, the rarity of these sea-powers stressed, and the peculiar background of the naval power of Phokaia and the Samian tyrant Polykrates exposed. The problem of the trireme's place of origin, the factors determining its invention, probably in Saite Egypt, and its immediate adoption by the Persian king Kambyses are discussed. The first naval operations of the Persians are surveyed, reasons and circumstances of the trireme's introduction into the navies of the Greek city-states analysed with special attention for Themistokles' navy bill. The book offers ancient historians and classical philologists a radically new approach to archaic maritime and naval history. It will also be useful to (nautical) archaeologists. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Thukydides and early naval developments | 13 |
Shipping in the eighth century B C 33388 | 66 |
Themistokles navy bill | 130 |
Epilogue | 165 |
Bibliography | 187 |
195 | |
202 | |
Other editions - View all
Ships and Sea-Power before the Great Persian War: The Ancestry of the ... H.T. Wallinga Limited preview - 2018 |
Ships and Sea-power Before the Great Persian War: The Ancestry of the ... H. T. Wallinga No preview available - 1993 |
Ships and Sea-power Before the Great Persian War: The Ancestry of the ... H. T. Wallinga No preview available - 1993 |
Common terms and phrases
Aegean Aigina Aiginetans Amasis ancient archaic period ascribed assume Athenian Athenian navy Athens bank of oars Basch battle of Alalia building built Carthaginians Casson considered context Corinth Corinthian crews Darius deck Delian league diekplous dikrotos galley doubt Egypt Egyptian eighth century eikosoros Ephoros evidence expedition explained fighting fleet galley Greece Hammond Hdt.III Hdt.VI Herodotos Homeric hoplites implies important interpretation invention Ionian revolt Kambyses Korkyra Korkyraian means mentioned mercenaries merchant galleys Meyer Miletos Miltiades modern monokrotos galley Morrison naukraric ships nautika naval arm naval forces naval power Necho's oarsmen parexeiresia pentekontors Persian empire Persian navy Phoenician Phokaians Plutarch poleis Polykrates probably reason rowers sailing ships samaina Samian Samos seems sixth century squadron SSAW state-owned ships stratiotis suggests tactical taken Tartessos term Th.I Th.VI Themistokles Thukydides trade transport trikrotos triremes troops Wallinga warships Xerxes zugian tholes καὶ