The Athenian Assembly Of Build A Fleet Of Triremes

According to Herodotus Histories book he states â€Å"Themistocles convinces the Athenian assembly to build a fleet of triremes†, which will be explained more as you read on. Both sides had very similar ships - the Triremes- which were 40-50 ton wooden warships up to 40 m long. Light, streamlined, and manoeuvrable, they were powered in battle by 170 oarsmen split in three ranks down each side of the ship. They were able to rapidly accelerate, break, zigzag, and turn 360 degrees in just two ships’ lengths, good seamanship could place the vessel to best advantage and employ the principal strategy of naval warfare at that time which was to ram the enemy. The way the Greeks prepared for the battle was, they had 371 triremes and pentekonters which were smaller fifty- oared ship, successfully under Themistocles, but officially led by the spartan Eurybiades. According to Herodotus he mentions that â€Å"The Athenians with 182 ships, half the whole fleet, - 40 from Corinth; 3 0 from Aegina; 20 from Megara; 20 from Chalcis; 16 from Lacedaemon (Sparta), 15 from Sicyon; 10 from Epidaurus; 7 from Ambracia; 7 from Eretria; 5 from Troezen; 4 from Naxos; 3 from Hermione; 3 from Leucas; 2 from Ceos; 2 from Styra; 1 from Croton; and 1 from Cynthus. The total number of warships was 368†. Herodotus also mentions the Persians fleet: â€Å"1,327 warships from the Persian allies and subjugated states present at Salamis. These included 300 from Phoenicia; 260 from the Greek cities in Asia Minor; 237 from theShow MoreRelatedThe Role of Themistocles in the Greek Defeat of the Persians in 480 - 479 BC.1486 Words   |  6 PagesDarius past defeats, vowed to extend the empire further west into the lands of Greece though was unsuccessful. His failure is largely attributed to the foresight and strategies of a respectable, wealthy Athenian citizen, Themistocles. Themistocles strengthening of the Athenian navy and unification of Greek states in the Panhellenic League along with his strategies in the battles of Thermopylae, Artemisium the pivotal Greek naval triumph at Salamis, all contributed to the ultimateRead MoreThe Greeks : The World s First Inventors Of Democracy, Politics, And Art1349 Words   |  6 Pagesis said to believed that is was Athens first step to an empire and glory. It was also the first time that the people had turned on its ruler and seized power for themselves. Cleisthenes was recalled from exile and asked by the people of Athens to build a government. They would meet at a meeting rock were Cleisthenes instituted the first vote. The people of Athens and Greece would soon come to know of a new threat trying to over throw them from power, The Persians. The Persians empire spread fromRead MoreAssess the reasons for the Greek victory over the Persians in 490 to 480/479 BC. Make a judgement based on outcome, results and values.2658 Words   |  11 Pagesfrom Miltiades who had in depth experience in Persian combat. As opposed to the Persians, the Greeks were willing to co operate in the defence of their country which directly lead to their success. Both Callimachus and Miltiades convinced the Athenian Assembly to send an army to Marathon. At Marathon, the 10 strategoi were equally divided in decision as to whether to attack the Persians or retreat, as they were heavily outnumbered. A decision was made to attack, and each of the generals was given one