Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-14
THE. WAR PRIMER
BY National Geographic Society

Piraeus-The commercial and his
toric Importance of the Greek city CT
Pfraeus, where many stirring incidents
have SO recently occurred, is set forth
in the following war geography bulle-
tin issued from Washington by the
National Geographic society:
When the tugs Of the entente al
lies towed the battleships of Greace's
modern navy out of the port Of Piraeus
the incident marked a striking tranSi-
ton from the events which 1.early
2, 400 years ago resulted in the birth OF
Athens first navy in the same waters.
1t was during those perilous days
when the Persian hordes under Nerxes,
unstayed by the sacrifice of Leonidas
and his immortal Spartans at Their
mopylae, threatened to blot out Attic
culture, that Athens, upon consulting
the Defphic oracle, received this eniS-
matte promise: When everything else
in the land of Cecrops shall be taken
Zeus grants to Athens that the wooden
walls alone shall remain unconquered
to defend you and your children
Whether or not Thefpistocles, the orig
inal big navy edvocate, inspired this
to determine definitely, but it is cor
tain he placed his own construction
upon it. He assembled all the Hell
us, while the women and children OIL
lenic soldiers on the wooden ships at
Salarnas, just few miles from Pifae-
those other wooden walls, the forests
of the neighboring hills The floating
walls proved their worth, and Xerxes'
power was broken by the decisive
Athenian victory, 200 Of the enemy's
ships being destroyed.
The adhersents of King Constantine
no doubt viewed with bitterness and
woe the sad spectacle of the steel de-
scendants of this first navy as, i'm
potent to resist, a French admiral in
coFporated them in his alien fleet.
"Piraeus, where this most recent
chapter in the history of the Athenian
navy was written, is the chief seaport
of Greece, situated on a rocky penin-
sula only five miles southwest of the
capital city and connected with it by
electric trans which make the run in
20 minutes. Tourists landing here gen.
orally prefer to make the journey to
the great acropolis in an hours de-
Eghtful drive, the carriage road follow
ing one of the walls built by Pericles
to connect the naval base with the
famed center of Attic culture.
Modern Piraeus is a hourishing city
of about $1,000 inhabitants, with num-
erous industrial activities, such as
tanneries, but it's chief business, of
course, is shipping, for it has the fin
est harbor in Greece. 1t really has
three natural harbors, the one ON the
northwest side Of the peninsula being
the important place for anchorage for
vessels of deep draft, while the two
smaller harbors, on the southeast side.
are less valuable besins for small
craft. .-s,
After Greece obtained her indie
pendenc and Athens became the cap
ital of the modern nation in 1884, Pr
of decay. The very name Piraeus had,
in the centuries intervening since its
greatness, disappeared from the map,
and in its place appeared Porto Leoni,
a fishers village, which derived its
name from the figure of a lion that had
stood here until the Venetians took 1t
away in the 18th century.
When Pericles built the long walls
connecting Piraeus with Athens, and a
third wall which included Phaleron,
(tfe seaport of Athens before the days
of Themistocles) he enclosed an area
sufficiently large to accommodate the
whole population of Attfca. Piraeus,
built in accordance with plans drawn
by Hippodamus. of Miletus. who after
ward laid our Rhodes, soon became al
most a second Athens. Indeed the
area between the walls was virtually
one city with two centers: Piraeus
was the natural dwelling place of the
oUOJCNt SiLlZCito oOfOtSo W 4Ao doI1 y
and trade, while Athens remained the
stronghold of the aristocratic or con-
sentative element.
when the capital fell before the
Spartans in 40f 3. G. the long walls
were leveled and the fortifcations of
the naval base DESTROYED Immediate
ly preceding and following this catas-
trephe Piraeus attained great promin
ence ewing 70 the activities of Thrasy-
bulEs This Athenian general sue
ceeded in overthraWing the Thirty
TyrAats, who had gained control OF
the government at tie capital during
the confusion and distress attendant
upon the death struggle with Sparta
With {, thouSand men in Piraeus, the
insnFgen+ resisted both the land forces
from %theIis and a tloekading Meet
from. Sparta. Eventually he effected a
reconciliation: with the Ty"ants and
the democracy was restored. ThraSy
bulus now The idol of the people, be-
gan to rebuff the Notifications Of
| Piraeus with funds obtained from
Persla after the battle of Cnidos. Thus
Athens and her seaport entered upon
a second ara OF prosperity.
"Piraeus was completely destroyed
| ~ the Roman general Slila in So B
c., since which time it played no con-
spicuous part in the annals of the
Mediterranean until its rebirth under
the euickening influence of the New
Greece, during the first half CT the
1Qth cAlatlarH."