Lords of the Sea: The Epic Story of the Athenian Navy and the Birth of Democracy

by John R. Hale

Book Overview

The epic true story of Themistocles and the Battle of Salamis, and a rousing history of the world's first dominant navy and the towering empire it built The Athenian Navy was one of the finest fighting forces in the history of the world. It engineered a civilization, empowered the world's first democracy, and led a band of ordinary citizens on a voyage of discovery that altered the course of history. With Lords of the Sea , renowned archaeologist...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0143117688
• ISBN13: 9780143117681
• Release Date: April 2010
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.6" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

I have waited a long time for a book like this.

I'llbe brief: this is an amazing book. I have a graduate degree in History but through many years and quite a few books on the topic I always felt as if something was missing. Thucydides, Victor Hansen, Kagan, etc. were all great books and well worth reading; however, if you want real focus on the construction of the ships, the maneuverability of the trireme, the tactics, the battles this book is the most focused of any I've read. Kagan was the scholar who suggested that the author write it. This is a book I've just purchased for the second time for a second reading. In the years since it was 1st published I've misplaced mine.

Lords of the Sea

Lords of the Sea is a historical tome that reads like a novel. More than dry history, this book moves along keeping the reader interested. You don't need to be a history fanatic to make sense of the story. It pulls you along from start to finish. Rather than dissecting each point of history, more than one plot goes on at a time keeping the reader interested like a good mystery. It is from the wars between Persia and Greece that East became East and West became our Western Civilization. For people with absolutely no background in the subject of Ancient Greece, there is a 33 page Introduction at the beginning of the book that explains when it all took place.

Athenian prosperity and empire started with a great generation and ended with hubris

The author, John Hale, a prominent archaeologist and historian, has achieved his monumental life's work with Lords of the Sea. Hale's work is bound to become a classic. I strongly recommend the audio version. Epic historical accounts tend to be most enthralling in audio format. Even the visual documentary medium, probably the most powerful medium, cannot accomplish what audio can in a case such as this. The reader is David Drummond. No reader prepares more thoroughly than Drummond; his understanding comes close to that of the author. The story of the Athenian navy and how it created the Athenian Golden Age is filled with timeless instruction and meaning because human nature has not changed since then. Hale explains how the Athenians had their own "Great Generation" and how their brilliance, problem-solving skills and dash created widely distributed prosperity. Hale's treatment of the Persians and the Greco-Persian wars is fair and shows how the Greeks understood that the Persians were determined and skilled in the pursuit of empire. Further, the famous Golden Age really only lasted for 19 years, from the end of the Persian Wars in 448 BC to the death of Pericles in 429 BC. That's because the short-lived Golden Age was succeeded by the Peloponnesian War. There were three prerequisite conditions for Athens to achieve empire status. One was economic and involved silver. The city-state of Athens collectively owned the most productive set of silver mines of their day at a place called Laurium. These mines famously funded the building of their warships, called triremes. Lords of the Sea makes the important point is that a world-class navy is capital intensive and must be funded by national treasure. Further, a navy requires continuous operation, practice and maintenance in peace times and is therefore extremely costly at all times. The least costly time was winter when triremes were dry-docked in boat sheds, gear tended to and hundreds of security personnel provided physical security. Athenian silver made fleet construction possible, and the navy provided thousands of highly sought-after jobs offering decent pay, adventure and status. One had to prove Athenian citizenship before a special board for the privilege to be a sailor. Considering the dangers, physical hardships and perianal hematoma experienced by the sailors, it seems remarkable today that these positions were so highly sought-after. The second prerequisite condition had to do with Athenian character, being both thinkers and men of action (it was a male dominated culture). Pericles was quoted as saying, "We cultivate refinement without extravagance and knowledge without effeminacy." They loved innovation and were quick to commit physical and intellectual energy to projects, especially when in the service of their country. This was important because triremes were the most technically advanced product that one could attempt to manufacture. The third prerequisite co

An interesting read.

Don't let anyone convince you otherwise, Lords of the Sea: The Epic Story of the Athenian Navy and the Birth of Democracy by John Hale is a well written, well researched and thoughtful presentation relating to the history of Athens. While certainly fitting for academic circles, I believe that Mr. Hale has written this book for the interested amateur, someone like myself. While I've read extensively about Sparta and the Spartan culture, Hale's book is a departure for me, and a good one at that. One of Hale's initial points is that the development of the Athenian Navy had far reaching, and in some cases unexpected results. All society's at this time were made up of usually very sharply defined classes. Athenian society was no exception. The lowest class in Athens was the Thetes. Themistocles' plan was pretty simple, at least at first blush. A fleet of triremes would be built using windfall silver available to Athens. One hundred triremes would require seventeen thousand oarsmen. Who would pull the oars of these warships? Slaves? Captives? Themistocles was a smart man. Let the Thetes pull the oars. This would employ the lowest citizens in the class structure, effectively injecting money into a class level that had never really known such income. The original "trickle down" theory! And it worked. Hale makes clear that Themistocles was no slouch when it came to political planning. Rightfully called the father of the Athenian Navy, his foresight set Athens on the road to greatness placing the Navy at the center of their culture. It would be for others to keep it there. For a time it seemed as though Athens sphere of influence would continue to grow unhindered. However, in the end the burden of their "foreign policy" became too much to sustain. Perhaps there is a lesson for others to learn from. Hale's examination of the Athenian Navy and its impact on Athenian society is certainly worth the reading. From the victories at the battles of Artemisium and Salamis to the humiliation at Amorgos, Hale's investigation appears to be complete, at least to this untrained eye. However, Hale looks beyond the battles. He investigates the interaction between the power players of the day but never allows the reader to lose sight of the fact that it is the Athenian Navy the rules the seas at the end of the day. An early version of the "big stick" policy. Very insightful. Lords of the Sea, at 318 pages of text is a demanding but rewarding read. The book does seem to bog down when one admiral and one battle after another marches by, but that is typical of books of this type. This fact is not a major minus to this book and may be a plus to some readers. Also provided are a Chronology, a very helpful Glossary, and the very valuable Notes on Sources. Lords of the Sea is a superior investigation into the Athenians and is highly recommended.

Classical Greek History from a Different Viewpoint

John Hale's "Lords of the Sea" illuminates the history of Classical Greece from a direction far removed from the usual approach. His book describes Athens from the early fifth through late fourth century BCE from a nautical perspective, detailing the naval wars and battles of Athens against her enemies, including the Persian Empire, Sparta, and Macedonia. And Hale finds that there is an intimate connection between Athens' navy and her particular brand of radical democracy. With land warfare, the battlefields were dominated by the heavily armed hoplites; tradition required the hoplites to supply their own arms and armor, so a substantial level of prosperity was necessary to serve in that role. But the rowers of the Athenian triremes needed no armor or arms; indeed, not only were that not responsible for paying for their equipment, but they actually received pay for their service, opening naval service to even the poorest citizen and greatly increasing their role in public life. It would not be an oversimplification of Hale's central thesis that Athenian democracy and Athenian naval dominance were the two sides of a single coin. While the illustrations of triremes are interesting in themselves, the numerous maps of the war zones and individual battles are vital for following Hale's detailed text. "Lords of the Sea" deserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in the history of Classical Greece.