It Was Nearer Athens Than The Other Two, But Smaller, And
Less Commodious.
Munichea was the name of the second harbour:
It was formed
in a promontory not far distant from the Pirasus, a little to the east of
Athens, and naturally a place of great strength; it was afterwards, at the
instance of Thrasybulus, rendered still stronger by art. But by far the
most celebrated harbour of Athens was the Piraeus. The republic of Athens,
in order to concentrate its military and mercantile fleets in this harbour,
abandoned that of Phalerum, and bent all their efforts to render the
Piraeus as strong and commodious as possible. This occurred in the time of
Themistocles; by whose advice both the town and the harbour were inclosed
with a wall, about seven miles and a half long, and sixty feet high.
Themistocles' intention was to have made it eighty cubits high, but in this
he was opposed. Before this connecting wall was built, the Piraeus was
about three miles distant from the city. As the strength of the wall was of
the utmost importance, it was built of immense square stones, which were
fastened together with iron or leaden cramps. It was so broad that two
waggons could have been driven along it. The Pireus contained three docks;
the first called Cantharus, the second Aphrodisium, and the third Zea.
There were likewise five porticos, and two forums. The Piraeus was so
celebrated for its commerce, that it became a proverbial saying in Greece,
"Famine does not come from the Piraeus." The extent and convenience of the
Piraeus may be judged of from this circumstance, that under the demagogue
Lycurgus, the whole naval force of the nation, amounting to 400 triremes,
were safely and easily laid up in its three harbours.
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