Coping with Chronic Warfare. The Athenian Experience

Abstract

AbstractIn Classical Athens, being at war was more common than peace. The military expenditures were correspondingly large. The main puzzle, however, is not financial, but where the Athenians found the multitude of rowers needed for their ships. It was not until the end of the Peloponnesian War that there were good reasons to use slaves as rowers. The Spartan occupation of Decelea in 413 BCE had profound effects on Athens by forcing more than 20,000 Athenian households (including slaves) to seek protection behind the city walls. This arguably led to the introduction of social support in Athens and an extended use of slaves as rowers. The manpower losses in connection with the naval conflicts must have had a significant impact on Athenian society in several ways. We discuss three cases: the switch from ostracism to the graphe paranomon, the law on citizenship under Pericles, and the decision of the Athenian Assembly to execute the victorious generals after the battle at Arginoussai.KeywordsAncient AthensSlavesRowersWarDemographic change