Latest / The History of Greece: Philosophy, Empire, and Endless Reinvention — Fexingo History / The Naval Arms Race: Athens vs Persia in the 4th Century BC
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about Athens in its golden age, but I want to zoom in on a period that doesn't get as much attention — the early 4th century BC, right after the Peloponnesian War. Athens had lost its empire, its navy was destroyed, its walls were torn down. But within a decade, it was back on the water, challenging Persia itself. Luna: Wait, how did they rebuild so fast? Lucas: That's the fascinating part. It wasn't just Athenian grit. It was a Persian admiral named Conon. He was an Athenian who had fled after the war and ended up serving the Persian king Artaxerxes II. In 394 BC, at the Battle of Cnidus, Conon commanded a Persian fleet and smashed the Spartan navy. That victory effectively ended Spartan naval dominance. Luna: So a Greek helped Persia beat Sparta. That's a twist. Lucas: Exactly. But here's where it gets even more interesting. After Cnidus, Artaxerxes gave Conon money and ships to return to Athens and rebuild the city's fortifications — specifically the Long Walls connecting Athens to the Piraeus. So Persia, the old enemy, was funding Athens's revival. Why? Because Persia wanted a counterweight to Spartan power. Lucas: The Long Walls had been dismantled in 404 BC as a condition of Athens's surrender. Rebuilding them was a huge symbolic and strategic move. It meant Athens could again rely on its port for supplies and trade, even if besieged by land. By 391 BC, the walls were up, and Athens had a fleet of about 100 triremes. Luna: But Persia must have realised they were creating a monster. Lucas: They did. And that's the arms race part. Athens wasn't content to just be a regional player. They started flexing again in the Aegean, supporting allies and raiding Persian territories. By the 370s, they had rebuilt a small empire — the Second Athenian League — and Persia switched sides, backing Sparta again. But by then, ship technology was evolving. Lucas: The classic warship was the trireme, with three rows of oars. But in the 4th century, navies began experimenting with larger ships. The tetrere — four rows — and the pentere — five rows — appeared. Athens built penteres, which were heavier, carried more marines, and could ram harder. It was an arms race driven by the need to counter Persian and Spartan fleets. Luna: Where did they get the wood for all those ships? Lucas: That's a huge question. Athens had lost its forest resources in the north, especially from Macedonia. They had to import timber from places like Thrace, Illyria, and even Italy. The Piraeus became a hub for shipbuilding, with state-owned dockyards and private contractors. The fleet size fluctuated, but at its peak in the 350s, Athens had around 300 triremes and 50 or so larger vessels. Lucas: But it wasn't just about numbers. The pentere required more skilled rowers and more money. Athens had to fund this through taxes, tribute from allies, and mining revenues from Laurion. The social impact was huge — thousands of citizens and metics — resident foreigners — served as rowers, and slaves were used too. Luna: So the navy was a sort of democratic force, giving lower classes a role. Lucas: Exactly right. The trireme crews were mostly thetes — the poorest Athenian class — and they gained political influence because their labor was essential. That's part of why Athens remained a democracy even after its empire declined. The navy kept the common man relevant. Lucas: Now, the arms race reached a peak in the 350s when Persia, under Artaxerxes III, tried to reassert control over Egypt and needed a navy. Athens and Sparta both sent ships and mercenaries, hoping to curry favor. But the real showdown came later, when Macedon under Philip II started building its own fleet, using the new designs. The pentere became the backbone of Hellenistic navies. Luna: It's strange to think of Persia as a naval power, given how the earlier wars went. Lucas: Persia had always had a navy — Phoenician and Cypriot ships — but after the Peloponnesian War, they invested heavily. They learned Greek tactics and even hired Greek commanders. The Battle of Cnidus was a Persian victory, after all. But they couldn't sustain a large standing fleet because of the cost. So the arms race was intermittent, with bursts of building followed by periods of neglect. Lucas: One more thing: the tetrere and pentere weren't just bigger triremes. They had different oar arrangements. The trireme had one man per oar, three banks. The tetrere probably had two men on some oars, and the pentere had two or three men per oar on multiple banks. That meant more power, but also more coordination problems. Luna: Were these ships actually used in major battles? Lucas: They saw action, but not many fleet engagements in this period. The biggest was the Battle of Naxos in 376 BC, where the Athenian general Chabrias defeated a Spartan fleet using standard triremes. But by the mid-4th century, penteres were becoming the norm for flagships. Alexander the Great used them in his sieges, and later the Successors built massive ships of six, seven, even ten rows of oars. Lucas: So the naval arms race of the 4th century set the stage for the Hellenistic era, where warships became floating fortresses. And it all started with Athens's comeback, funded by Persian gold, using new technology, and driven by the same old rivalries. Luna: It's amazing how fast they rebuilt. From nothing to a major power in a generation. Lucas: And that resilience is a big part of the Greek story — endless reinvention. Athens lost its empire, then built a new one. Persia was the enemy, then the patron, then the enemy again. The ships got bigger, but the sea remained the key to power. Luna: Thanks, Lucas. That really filled in a gap for me. Lucas: Glad to hear it. Next time, we might look at how the Macedonian navy changed everything under Alexander. But for now, thanks for listening.