A number of the states which joined the League at its foundation possessed warships, having fought on one side or the other in 480-479, and many will have wished, at least ini tially, to make their contribution in ships rather than money. With thousands of kilometers of coastline and hundreds of islands, the Greek world was likely to be dominated only by a naval power. But there are indications here and there in the sources that in the Athenian navy nautes was a term with special significance. Yet, helots would hardly have been capable of paying for the ships nor is it likely they would have been capable or entrusted with command aboard them.
A generation after the establishment of democracy Athens became such a power under the influence of Themistokles. This is yet another area in which the role of the perioikoi has been seriously overlooked. The central island, known as the “Admiralty Islet”, also housed 30 ships, 5.30 m wide, 40 in length and compatible with Pentera or Tetras, but also had two larger holds, probably to accommodate Ships the size of an Enere (“6”) or a heptere, with 7.30 m. They would, however, have been too narrow for deceres (The only Roman quinqueremes were almost 8 meters wide at the time). Ctesias claims that the Athenian fleet numbered only 110 triremes, which ties in with Aeschylus's numbers. 99% of the time I find the enemy navy is just a huge land force on transport ships, (an easy auto resolve win if you have a good navy) however if I were to play it this is what would happen. If the Athenian navy was indeed built up from a modest, auxiliary component of Athens’ military forces to her pride and primary arm in the ten years between 490 and 480 BC, then it is less surprising than usually assumed that a Spartan, Eurybiades, was elected to command of the combined Greek fleets opposing Persia in 480.
During the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC, Athenian soldiers helped halt an invading army from Persia on the Plains of Marathon. In many ways, the Battle of Salamis was the biggest test concerning whether or not all the hard work Themistocles put into developing the Athenian navy actually paid off. Oared ships appear on Athenian vases from the 8th to the 5th century B.C., and several of the 372 shipsheds that lined the harbors of the Piraeus have been excavated. The fleet was made up of triremes, wooden warships that carried 170 rowers manning three banks of oars. Sometimes a trireme would move next to an enemy ship so an armed Athenian boarding party could attempt to capture the opposing vessel.
Battle of Salamis Proved the Navy’s Worth.
The Athenian Navy was far superior to the Persian Navy. First, it was an honorific title reserved for sailors who were Athenian citizens and metics, and also for citizens of states allied with Athens who served in her ships. According to the Athenian playwright Aeschylus, who actually fought at Salamis, the Greek fleet numbered 310 triremes (the difference being the number of Athenian ships).
The sea penetrated every corner of Athenian life. Notable Battles Fought by the Navy . 180 THE ATHENIAN NAVY AND ALLIED CONTRIBUTIONS some reasonable conjectures. Ships and seafaring formed a theme for poets, artists, dramatists, historians, politicians, philosophers, and legal experts. The Athenian Navy. Athens developed a strong navy during its struggle against the Persian Empire. The Athenean Navy developed during the Persian Wars Athens developed a very large, powerful navy in the eastern Mediterranean that destroyed the even larger Persian navy at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC; the Athenian Navy reached a peak at this engagement and consisted of 80,000 men crewing 400 ships. According to Hyperides, the Greek fleet numbered only 220. The people described their government as a “ship of state” and its leaders as steersmen. These sources, supplemented with ancient descriptions and inscriptions listing naval equipment, allow an accurate reconstruction of one of these ancient warships. This suggests perioikoi most likely financed and commanded Sparta’s fleet. Like someone above said it just turns into a Fuster Cluck of ship micro(and let me tell you the ship captains are as bright as the inside of a coffin on a moonless night).