Ancient Greek Athenian Ship - Trireme - Battle of Salamis - 480 BC - Museum Reproduction - Ceramic Artifact

Item Specifics

Material: Ceramic
Condition: New, Handmade in Greece.
Height: 10.5 cm - 4,1 inches
Width: 26 cm - 10,2 inches
Length: 7 cm - 2,8 inches
Weight: 500 g

With thousands of kilometers of coastline and hundreds of islands, the Greek world was likely to be dominated only by naval power. A generation after the establishment of democracy Athens became such a power under the influence of Themistokles. The fleet was made up of triremes, wooden warships that carried 170 rowers manning three banks of oars. The ships were 100-120 feet long and about 20 feet wide. At her peak, Athens had a fleet of 400 ships, a force requiring close to 80,000 men. These rowers, mainly drawn from Athens' poorer citizens, were paid and were seldom slaves. These citizen oarsmen were recognized as early as the 5th century B.C. as a significant force in the maintenance of democracy.
The Trireme was the warship that brought Athens preeminence in Greek waters in the 5th and 4th centuries B.C. The ship was designed for speed, lightness, and ease of maneuver. With the three tiers of rowers that give the trireme its name, the ship acted as an oar-powered battering ram manned by highly trained and disciplined rowers.