Lords of the sea
Subtitle: the epic story of the Athenian navy and the birth of democracy
By: by John R. Hale.
Publisher: Viking
Published: 2009
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 395
ISBN-13: 9780670020805
Subjects: Democracy -- Greece -- Athens -- History -- To 1500; Athens (Greece) -- History, Naval
Description: From the Publisher: A stirring history of the world's first dominant navy and the towering empire it built. The navy created by the people of Athens in ancient Greece was one of the finest fighting forces in the history of the world and the model for all other national navies to come. The Athenian navy built 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. Its defeat of the Persian fleet at Salamis in 480 BCE launched the Athenian Golden Age and preserved Greek freedom and culture for centuries. With Lords of the Sea, renowned archaeologist John Hale presents, for the first time, the definitive history of the epic battles, the indomitable ships, and the men-from extraordinary leaders to seductive rogues-who established Athens's supremacy. With a scholar's insight and a storyteller's flair, Hale takes us on an illustrated tour of the heroes and their turbulent careers and far-flung expeditions and brings back to light a forgotten maritime empire and its majestic legacy.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Part one : Freedom.; title: One man, one vision (483 BC); title: Building the fleet (438-481 BC); title: The wooden wall (481-480 BC); title: Holding the pass (Summer, 480 BC); title: Salamis (End of summer, 480 BC); title: Part 2 : Democracy.; title: A league of their own (479-463 BC); title: Boundless ambition (462-446 BC); title: Mariners of the Golden Age (Mid-fifth century BC); title: Part 3 : Empire.; title: The Imperial Navy (446-433 BC); title: War and pestilence (433-430 BC); title: Fortune favors the brave (430-428 BC); title: Masks of comedy, masks of command (428-421 BC); title: The Sicilian expedition (415-413 BC); title: Part 4 : Catastrophe.; title: The rogue's return (412-407 BC); title: Of heroes and hemlock (407-406 BC); title: Rowing to Hades (405-399 BC); title: Part 5 : Rebirth.; title: Passing the torch (397-371 BC); title: Triremes of Atlantis (370-354 BC); title: The voice of the Navy (354-399 BC); title: In the shadow of Macedon (339-324 BC); title: The last battle (324-322 BC); title: Chronology; title: Glossary; title: Note on sources