Athens, The Most Celebrated State In Greece For Philosophy, Literature, And
Arms, Was Also The Most Celebrated For Commerce.
The whole of the southern
angle of Attica consisted of a district called Parali, or the division
adjacent to the sea.
In the other districts of Attica, the soldiers of the
republic were found: this furnished the sailors; fishing and navigation
were the chief employments of its inhabitants. About 46 miles distant from
the Piraeus, stood Sunium, the most considerable town in this district: it
possessed a double harbour in the Mediterranean.
The principal commerce of Attica, however, was carried on at Athens: this
city had three harbours: the most ancient was that of Phalerum, distant
from the city, according to some authors, 35 stadia; according to others
only 20 stadia. It was nearer Athens than the other two, but smaller, and
less commodious. Munichea was the name of the second harbour: it was formed
in a promontory not far distant from the Pirasus, a little to the east of
Athens, and naturally a place of great strength; it was afterwards, at the
instance of Thrasybulus, rendered still stronger by art. But by far the
most celebrated harbour of Athens was the Piraeus. The republic of Athens,
in order to concentrate its military and mercantile fleets in this harbour,
abandoned that of Phalerum, and bent all their efforts to render the
Piraeus as strong and commodious as possible. This occurred in the time of
Themistocles; by whose advice both the town and the harbour were inclosed
with a wall, about seven miles and a half long, and sixty feet high.
Themistocles' intention was to have made it eighty cubits high, but in this
he was opposed. Before this connecting wall was built, the Piraeus was
about three miles distant from the city. As the strength of the wall was of
the utmost importance, it was built of immense square stones, which were
fastened together with iron or leaden cramps. It was so broad that two
waggons could have been driven along it. The Pireus contained three docks;
the first called Cantharus, the second Aphrodisium, and the third Zea.
There were likewise five porticos, and two forums. The Piraeus was so
celebrated for its commerce, that it became a proverbial saying in Greece,
"Famine does not come from the Piraeus." The extent and convenience of the
Piraeus may be judged of from this circumstance, that under the demagogue
Lycurgus, the whole naval force of the nation, amounting to 400 triremes,
were safely and easily laid up in its three harbours.
Before the time of Themistocles, Athens does not appear to have devoted her
attention or resources to maritime affairs: but this celebrated general not
only rendered the Piraeus stronger and more commodious, but also procured a
decree, which enabled him to add twenty ships to the fleet annually. The
sums arising from the sale of the privileges of working the mines, or the
eventual profits of the mines, which had formerly been distributed among
the people, were, through his influence, set apart for the building of
ships. Afterwards a law was passed, which taxed all the citizens who
possessed land, manufactories, or money in trade or with their bankers;
these classes of the citizens were also obliged to keep up, and increase,
if occasion required it, the naval force of the republic. When it was
necessary to fit out an armament, as many talents as there were galleys to
be built and equipped, were raised in each of the ten tribes of Athens. The
money thus collected was given to the captains of the galleys, to be
expended in the maintenance of the crew. The republic furnished the rigging
and sailors: two captains were appointed to each galley, who served six
months each.
Although the vessels employed by the Athenians both for war and commerce
were small compared with those of modern days, and their merchant ships
even much smaller than those of the Phoenicians, if we may judge by the
description given by Xenophon of a Phoenician merchant vessel in the
Piraeus, yet the expence attending their equipment was very great. We learn
from Demosthenes, that the light vessels could not be kept in commission,
even if the utmost attention was paid to economy, and no extraordinary
damage befel them, for a smaller sum than about 8000_l_. annually; of
course, such vessels as from their size, strength, and manning, were
capable of standing the brunt of an engagement, must have cost more than
double that sum.
In the time of Demosthenes, the trade of Athens seems to have been carried
on with considerable spirit and activity; the greater part of the money of
the Athenians having been employed in it. From one of his orations we
learn, that in the contract executed when money was lent for this purpose,
the period when the vessel was to sail, the nature and value of the goods
with which she was loaded, the port to which she was to carry them, the
manner in which they were to be sold there, and the goods with which she
was to return to Athens, were all specifically and formally noticed. In
other particulars the contracts varied: the money, lent was either not to
be repaid till the return of the vessel, or it was to be repaid as soon as
the outward goods were sold at the place to which she was bound, either to
the agent of the lender, or to himself, he going there for that express
purpose. The interest of money so lent varied: sometimes it rose as high as
30 per cent: it seems to have depended principally on the risks of the
voyage.
In another oration of Demosthenes we discover glimpses of what by many has
been deemed maritime insurance, or rather of the fraud at present called
barratry, which is practised to defraud the insurer: but, as Park in his
learned Treatise on Marine Insurance has satisfactorily proved, the
ancients were certainly ignorant of maritime insurance; though there can be
no doubt frauds similar to those practised at present were practised.
According to Demosthenes, masters of vessels were in the habit of borrowing
considerable sums, which they professed to invest in a cargo of value, but
instead of such a cargo, they took on board sand and stones, and when out
at sea, sunk the vessel.
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