Before The Time Of Themistocles, Athens Does Not Appear To Have Devoted Her
Attention Or Resources To Maritime Affairs:
But this celebrated general not
only rendered the Piraeus stronger and more commodious, but also procured a
decree, which enabled him to add twenty ships to the fleet annually.
The
sums arising from the sale of the privileges of working the mines, or the
eventual profits of the mines, which had formerly been distributed among
the people, were, through his influence, set apart for the building of
ships. Afterwards a law was passed, which taxed all the citizens who
possessed land, manufactories, or money in trade or with their bankers;
these classes of the citizens were also obliged to keep up, and increase,
if occasion required it, the naval force of the republic. When it was
necessary to fit out an armament, as many talents as there were galleys to
be built and equipped, were raised in each of the ten tribes of Athens. The
money thus collected was given to the captains of the galleys, to be
expended in the maintenance of the crew. The republic furnished the rigging
and sailors: two captains were appointed to each galley, who served six
months each.
Although the vessels employed by the Athenians both for war and commerce
were small compared with those of modern days, and their merchant ships
even much smaller than those of the Phoenicians, if we may judge by the
description given by Xenophon of a Phoenician merchant vessel in the
Piraeus, yet the expence attending their equipment was very great.
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