Trierarchy

A Trierarchy is a debt similar to a tax, and a duty similar to being conscripted, in the Navy of ancient Athens this type of obligation is called a liturgy. The person (or persons) up on whom the duty fell is called a Trierarch. The Trierarch is responsible for the outfitting, maintenance, operation and leadership of a warship known as a triremes, the hull and mast of the ship are provided by the State. The responsibility could be that of one person or a combination of persons known as a syntrierarchy. The cost of a whole Trierarchy was not less than forty minas nor more than a talent with the average being 50 mimas. The responsibility of the Trierarchy as a liturgy was so great that during some eras no other liturgy could be assessed in the same or the following year.cite book | last =Lytton | first =Edward Bulwer | title =Athens, Its Rise and Fall: With Views of the Literature, Philosophy, and Social Life of the Athenian People | publisher =Harper & Brothers | date =1852 | location =Original from the University of Michigan | pages =Page 254, 255 | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=43Qpwu1CgToC&pg=PA254&dq=Trierarchy&lr=&as_brr=1&ie=ISO-8859-1#PPA254,M1 | doi = | id = ] cite book | last =Cornish | first =Francis Warre | title =A Concise Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities:Based on Sir William Smith's Larger Dictionary and Incorporating The Results of Modern Research
publisher =Murray | date =1898 | location = | pages =Page 651, 652 | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=sKUKAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA2-PA651&dq=Trierarchy&as_brr=1&ie=ISO-8859-1 | doi = | id = ] cite book | last =Smith | first =William | title =A School Dictionary of Greek & Roman Antiquities | publisher =Harper & bros | date =1851 | location =Original from the University of Michigan | pages =Page 335, 336 | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=Vs5QKRNq5_0C&pg=PA336&dq=Trierarchy&lr=&as_brr=1&ie=ISO-8859-1#PPA335,M1 | doi = | id = ] cite book | last =Grote | first =George | title =A History of Greece: From the Earliest Period to the Close of the Generation Contemporary with Alexander The Great
publisher =J. Murray | date =1888 | location =Original from the University of California | pages =Page 448 | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=8w0fAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA450&dq=Trierarchy&lr=&as_brr=1&ie=ISO-8859-1#PPA448,M1 | doi = | id = ] cite book | last =Thirlwall | first =Connop | title =The History of Greece | publisher =Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans [etc.] | date =1855 | location =Original from the University of Michigan | pages =Page 75 | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=-MgeAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA75&dq=Trierarchy&as_brr=1&ie=ISO-8859-1#PPA75,M1 | doi = | id = ] cite book | last =Böckh | first =August (Translated by George Cornewall Lewis) | title =The public economy of Athens; to which is added, a dissertation on the | publisher =Arno Press | date =1842 | location =Original from Oxford University | pages =Page 548 - 576 | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=NEIIAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA548&dq=Trierarchy&as_brr=1&ie=ISO-8859-1 | doi = | id = ] cite book | last =Goldsmith | first =Oliver | title =Pinnock's Improved Edition of Dr. Goldsmith's History of Greece: | publisher =C. Desilver | date =1858 | location =Original from Harvard University | pages =Page 57, 58 | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=4l0AAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA58&dq=Trierarchy&lr=&as_brr=1&ie=ISO-8859-1#PPA57,M1 | doi = | id = ] cite book | last =Demosthenes | first = | title =The Orations of Demosthenes... | publisher =Harper & bros | date =1878 | location =Original from the University of Michigan | pages =Pages 311- 319 | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=Lvy2rJf-87MC&pg=PA311&dq=Trierarchy&as_brr=1&ie=ISO-8859-1#PPA311,M1 | doi = | id = ] cite book | last =Bojesen, Ernst Frederik; Arnold, T. K. | first = | title =A Manual of Grecian and Roman Antiquities | publisher =D. Appleton & Co. | date =1874 | location =Original from the New York Public Library | pages =Page 132, 133 | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=ADMQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA132&dq=Trierarchy&as_brr=1&ie=ISO-8859-1#PPA132,M1 | doi = | id = ] cite book | last = Champlin | first =J. T. | title =The Oration of Aeschines Against Ctesiphon: With Notes | publisher =J. Bartlett | date =1850 | location =Original from Harvard University | pages =Page 169 | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=KC_eR_EzYAgC&pg=PA181&dq=Trierarchy&as_brr=1&ie=ISO-8859-1#PPA169,M1 | doi = | id = ]

Four eras of Trierarchy

The Trierarchy's can be divided into four distinct eras, each having a distinct time period and obligation and implementation.

First Trierarchy

The beginning of the trierarchy dates from before the time of Hippias (460 BCE). Starting with the 48 naucrarias of Solon (638 BCE–558 BCE) and the 50 naucrarias of Cleisthenes each naucraria was obliged to equip a ship. When the naval force was gradually increased to 200 vessels which was the number at sea at the time of the Battle of Salamis the trierarchs also became more numerous.

econd Trierarchy

The second form began in 409 B.C.E It was during this time the trierarchy began being shared by more than one Trierarch, this arrangement known as a syntrierarchy may have been because there were not enough citizens of sufficient wealth to support the 400 triremes in use every year. The command of the ship would be as worked out between the two, amongst themselves. The ships improvements that had been funded by a previous Trierarch were often left with the ship with the new Trierarch(s) being responsible to reimburse the previous Trierarch for the improvements.

Third Trierarchy

The third form was extablished by Periander and stenched from 357 to 341 B.C.E. During this period up to 16 individuals might form a trierarchy known as a symmoriea. They would share the burden in equal shares regardless of their actual wealth. The supervision of the whole business would be left to the wealthiest individual, who would often contract a commander for the whole sum from their colleagues so that many in reality paid nothing and yet were exempted by the trierarchy from all other liturgies.

Forth Trierarchy

Is attributed to Demosthenes who being well aware of the defects of the third form or symmoriea brought forward new law that improved funding and operation of the Trierarchy. The trierarchy were rated for a trireme according to their property as stated in the register in such a manner that one trireme was required from 10 talents. If their wealth was valued at a higher then 10 talents they would be assigned up to three triremes and one auxiliary vessel. Those who had less than 10 talents were to unite in syntelias until they made up that sum.

External links

* [http://www.ablemedia.com/ctcweb/glossary/glossaryt.html "T" Classic Technology Center] (inlcudes a "Hear it" wav of "Trierarchy")

References