Athenian military

This article is about the warfare aspects of ancient Athens. For the military history of ancient Athens, see Classical Athens.

The Athenian Empire around 450 BC

The Athenian army was the military force of Athens, one of the major city-states (poleis) of Ancient Greece. It was largely similar to other armies of the region.

Organization and composition

All physically fit citizens were liable for military service from their 18th to 60th years. After a young ephebe finished his two years at the barracks, he returned home with the condition to return in times of need. Arcadians and Thracians mercenaries were used. The Athenians had also the Scythian police archers to send into any battle near Athens; they could also hire mercenary archers from Crete. When there were not enough men to form an army, the men in reserve were called. The levy was conducted by the ten Strategoi (at once "generals", "admirals" and "war ministers"), who controlled the whole armed power of Athens. The recruits summoned have to come with three days' rations to the rendezvous, usually to the lyceum wrestling ground just outside the city. In case of a general levy the old men were expected to form merely a home guard for the walls; the young men had to be ready for hard service overseas.

The organization of the Athenian army was simple: each of the ten Attic tribes sent its own battalion or taxis. These taxeis were subdivided into companies or lochoi, around an average of 100 men each. Every taxis was commanded by a tribal-colonel (taxiarches), and each company by a captain (lochagos). The ten strategoi theoretically commanded the whole army together, but usually a special decree of the people's assembly (Ecclesia) often entrusted the supreme command of a force to one commander, or at most to not over three.

Forces

Main article: Ancient Greek warfare

Infantry

Main articles: Hoplite and Peltast

The mainstay of the Athenian army, like practically all Greek armies, was the heavy armed infantry soldier, the hoplite. Along with every hoplite went an attendant, a lightly armed man, either a poor citizen who could not afford a regular suit of armor (panoplia), or possibly a trusted slave. These attendants carried the hoplite's shield (aspis) until the battle, and most of the baggage. They were armed with javelins, and sometimes slings and bows. They acted as skirmishers before the pitched battle, and were assigned to guarding the camp during the actual fight. When the fight was done they did their best to cover the retreat or slaughter the fleeing foes if their own hoplites were victorious.

During and after the Peloponnesian Wars, the use and importance of light troops increased, with the introduction of the peltasts: lightly armoured, if at all, and armed with javelins and a small shield, the pelte. Their effectiveness in battle, even against the best-trained heavy hoplites, was demonstrated by the Athenian general Iphicrates, who annihilated an entire Spartan mora with his peltasts.

Cavalry

Main article: Hippeis

The cavalry corps was composed mostly of the wealthier citizens, who could raise and equip their own war horse. Greek riders had no saddles and no stirrups.

Navy

Main article: Trireme

Athens, a civilization facing the sea, had a large contingent of warships. The main vessels were called triremes. With these boats Athens got its hegemony over the rest of Hellas and the greatest moment of the polis. Among those triremes was Salaminia.

°==References==

Sources

•  This article incorporates text from A Day in Old Athens, by William Stearns Davis, a publication from 1910, now in the public domain in the United States.

Texts on Wikisource:

• Peace
• Hellenica
• Athenian Constitution