Piraeus

The Long Walls of Athens

Early History

• Piraeus: Greek for “the place over the passage” (roughly)

• Supposedly has been inhabited since the 26th century B.C.

• Approximately 7-8 km (about 4 or 5 miles) southwest of Athens

• Originally was an island known as Munychia, was also known as Halipedon (“salt field”)

• Hippias, son of Peisistratis, fortifies Munychia in late 6th century

Piraeus vs. Phaleron

• Phaleron Bay, located approximately 7km almost due south of Athens, was original harbor of Athens but was a shallow, sandy beach.

• Piraeus was deep with three natural harbors: Kantharos, Munychia and Zea.

• In mid 5th century land passage to Piraeus became secure.

• During archonship of Themistocles, 493/4, Piraeus fortified as commercial port of Athens with early walls.

• Later on, in mid 5th century, Hippodamos of Miletos and “Grid Plan” laid out for Piraeus

The Three Harbors

• neosoikoi ("ships' houses") built in harbors to house triremes (War ships).

• Kantharos. Largest harbor, northwestern Piraeus. Commercial center. Housed 94 triremes. Tomb of Themistocles

• Zea: Southern port, main war ship harbor. Housed 196 triremes.

• Munychia: Smallest harbor, eastern Piraeus. Housed 82 triremes.

• Piraeus home to many metics, representative of cultural and economic importance of Piraeus to Athenian trade

The “Wooden Wall” and The Long Walls

• 483, Laurium silver strike, Themistocles’ advice and the Oracle of Delphi, “Wall of Wood”

• Persian Wars, battles of Artemisium and Salamis, role of Themistocles

• After Persian Wars (479/8, Thuc.) Athens rebuilds and fortifies herself. Themistocles distracts Spartans while Long Walls built

• Built hastily but surround Athens down to Piraeus and even Phaleron as well

• Athens establishes Delian League, 479, using the navy and port of Piraeus as leverage over other poleis

Piraeus, Plague, Pericles, and the Peloponnesian War

• Thucydides 2.13, Pericles urges Athenians to become “an island” as war approaches with Sparta

• Athenians move into the Long and Phaleric Walls in 431, Peloponnesian War begins

• Plague enters Athens from the Piraeus in 430, things begin to go downhill for Athens

• After Pericles’ death (429), fleet misused and Athenians loses the War in 404

• Long Walls torn down and Spartan control enforced over Piraeus, much of navy captured or destroyed

Why do you build me up, just to knock me back down?

• In 393, democracy reinstated and Thirty Tyrants thrown out. Walls rebuilt by Conon. Reconstruction continues…

• Second Athenian League established in 378, Piraeus becomes main port yet again, but former empire never realized

• Total number housed at Piraeus in later 4th century believed to be 372. Court in Phreatto?

• 86 B.C. Lucius Cornellius Sulla invades, defeats and levels Piraeus

The Piraeus Today

• Destruction complete in 395 A.D. by Gauls and was even renamed Porto Leon (“Lion’s Port) for marble Lion statue

• Reduced to small fishing village up until Greek Independence in 1832 when Athens was made capital

• Industry, Corinth Canal (1893) and establishment of Port authorities Piraeus sees huge population explosion.

• Today Piraeus acts as a major center for Greek trade and commerce. 3rd largest port in the world for passenger transportation, 47th in cargo traffic

Bibliography

• Camp, John M. The Archaeology of Athens. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001.

• DASE. Susan Hoftra’s personal slide. “Trireme ‘Olympias’ at Piraeus”. 8 Jul. 2000 <http://dase.laits.utexas.edu/media/classics/thumbnail/0007080513_100.jpg>

• Green, Peter. Ancient Greece: An Illustrated History. New York: The Viking Press, 1973

• Stathakis, Stathis. “The Piraeus Port” Trekearth.com. 27 Aug. 2006

http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Greece/Attica/Attiki/Piraeus/photo590499.htm

• Pomeroy, Sarah B. Ancient Greece. New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.

• Thucydides. Trans. Crawley, Richard. 1874. Ed. Strassler, Robert B. New York: Simon & Schuster Inc. 1996.

• The World of Athens. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984.