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Lords of the Sea: The Epic Story of the Athenian Navy and the Birth of Democracy

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A concise narrative of Athens.

This is a rather detailed history of Athens focusing on its navy. The author convincingly demonstrates a very close correlation between Naval power and both democracy and imperialism in ancient Athens. The writing style is clear, engaging, and very accessible. However, the book suffers from a narrative format that involves a lot a rehashing of topics and history.

The author's thesis is that because the class of men who manned the Athenian navy were lower in status than the hoplites or horsemen who formed the backbone of the army, as the navy increased in power so did the democratic element in relation to the "oligarchic" element in Athenian society. This was reinforced by the fact that maintaining a navy involved a great deal of expenditure flowing in large part into the pockets of the working glass artisans and laborers thus increasing their lot. However, these expenses forced Athens into a program of imperial expansion which could not be sustained. The author backs all of this up with ample evidence from a number of primary sources including some quite creative use of Athenian drama. There is very little to fault in his historical method save perhaps one or two factual errors -and even those are debatable (for example calling Athena's Aegis her breastplate when this probably refers to a cloak/shield like object she carried).

While this is an excellent book it has two flaws. The first is that its narrative format leads to a long series of admirals, battles, and dates. After a while, once it become apparent that the author has effectively proved his thesis, the whole thing becomes a little tedious, especially if you are even roughly familiar with the history. If you have not read Herodotus or Thucydides then you may ignore the following criticism: The other problem is that long stretches of the book are just retelling of one or two ancient sources. I cannot blame him for this because often that is all we have to go on. However, one might as well read the original sources at that point.

Despite these flaws, this is a closely reasoned and well supported piece of narrative history that I can wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who has not already studied the subject in great depth (those will find little new). I would also suggest Kagan's Peloponnesian War; any of the earlier works by Victor Davis Hansen; and of course the primary sources the Author relied on so much Herodotus and Thucydides.

John Hale's "Lords of the Sea" illuminates the history of Classical Greece from a direction far removed from the usual approach. His book describes Athens from the early fifth through late fourth century BCE from a nautical perspective, detailing the naval wars and battles of Athens against her enemies, including the Persian Empire, Sparta, and Macedonia. And Hale finds that there is an intimate connection between Athens' navy and her particular brand of radical democracy. With land warfare, the battlefields were dominated by the heavily armed hoplites; tradition required the hoplites to supply their own arms and armor, so a substantial level of prosperity was necessary to serve in that role. But the rowers of the Athenian triremes needed no armor or arms; indeed, not only were that not responsible for paying for their equipment, but they actually received pay for their service, opening naval service to even the poorest citizen and greatly increasing their role in public life. It would not be an oversimplification of Hale's central thesis that Athenian democracy and Athenian naval dominance were the two sides of a single coin.

While the illustrations of triremes are interesting in themselves, the numerous maps of the war zones and individual battles are vital for following Hale's detailed text. "Lords of the Sea" deserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in the history of Classical Greece.

The author, John Hale, a prominent archaeologist and historian, has achieved his monumental life's work with Lords of the Sea. Hale's work is bound to become a classic. I strongly recommend the audio version.

Epic historical accounts tend to be most enthralling in audio format. Even the visual documentary medium, probably the most powerful medium, cannot accomplish what audio can in a case such as this.

The reader is David Drummond. No reader prepares more thoroughly than Drummond; his understanding comes close to that of the author.

The story of the Athenian navy and how it created the Athenian Golden Age is filled with timeless instruction and meaning because human nature has not changed since then. Hale explains how the Athenians had their own "Great Generation" and how their brilliance, problem-solving skills and dash created widely distributed prosperity.

Hale's treatment of the Persians and the Greco-Persian wars is fair and shows how the Greeks understood that the Persians were determined and skilled in the pursuit of empire. Further, the famous Golden Age really only lasted for 19 years, from the end of the Persian Wars in 448 BC to the death of Pericles in 429 BC. That's because the short-lived Golden Age was succeeded by the Peloponnesian War.

There were three prerequisite conditions for Athens to achieve empire status.

One was economic and involved silver. The city-state of Athens collectively owned the most productive set of silver mines of their day at a place called Laurium. These mines famously funded the building of their warships, called triremes. Lords of the Sea makes the important point is that a world-class navy is capital intensive and must be funded by national treasure. Further, a navy requires continuous operation, practice and maintenance in peace times and is therefore extremely costly at all times. The least costly time was winter when triremes were dry-docked in boat sheds, gear tended to and hundreds of security personnel provided physical security.

Athenian silver made fleet construction possible, and the navy provided thousands of highly sought-after jobs offering decent pay, adventure and status. One had to prove Athenian citizenship before a special board for the privilege to be a sailor. Considering the dangers, physical hardships and perianal hematoma experienced by the sailors, it seems remarkable today that these positions were so highly sought-after.

The second prerequisite condition had to do with Athenian character, being both thinkers and men of action (it was a male dominated culture). Pericles was quoted as saying, "We cultivate refinement without extravagance and knowledge without effeminacy." They loved innovation and were quick to commit physical and intellectual energy to projects, especially when in the service of their country. This was important because triremes were the most technically advanced product that one could attempt to manufacture.

The third prerequisite condition was the perennial threat the Persians provided to Athens in particular that galvanized the citizenry to put such resources into a navy. Athenians knew they could not build walls to stop the Persians. Logically, they faced eventual conquest and destruction or they could cooperatively try to stop the Persians in the sea.

Lords of the Sea describes the benefits and challenges of being a naval empire. Alliances were made to bring in tribute to finance a navy. Every violent dispute all over the Mediterranean and Black Sea beckoned the Athenians to pick a side, provide protection and collect tribute in the form of silver, additional triremes or other goods. Foreign policy became complex as the empire quickly expanded.

But mastery of the sea provided innumerable benefits, including prized fish such as bluefin tuna, wheat from areas bordering the Black Sea, African ivory, spices from the east and all sorts of crafted and luxury items. The naval complex produced economic stimulus that spawned all sorts of service jobs and a strong economy.

Domestic policy became more complex. Athenians actually engaged the first ever urban planners for service throughout the empire. Care was taken to ensure that each house built along a downward sloping hill would have its own unobstructed view of the sea. In some places, grid street systems were implemented.

Of course, hubris emerged as it always does when prosperity arrives in such measure and speed. The cost in lives and treasure of the Peloponnesian War signaled an end to the short-lived Golden Age. Athenians promoted democracy wherever they could, often choosing to garrison troops in diverse cities, only to later withdraw the troops and have cities return to oligarchic rule. They over-extended themselves and created resentment among their allies when they acted unilaterally.

Finally, the Athenians elected less experienced leaders based on charisma and populist appeal, and these leaders took a much more aggressive approach to war, thereby abandoning the thoughtful diplomacy of earlier leaders. Eventually the tribute dried up, they actually declined victory in the Peloponnesian War when Sparta sued for peace and ending up losing the war and empire. The world's first democracy ended in disaster in large part because elections produced irresponsible leaders that were gifted with little other than swagger.

The fact that all this happened in the 5th century BC makes this work particularly instructive. Throughout the story the listener is amazed at how hard it has always been to rise above in this world. The only lucky break the Athenians got was the silver mines at Laurium. The story is one of constant battles with a 19-year period of prosperity, peace, great happiness and the flourishing of the arts. We know this as the Golden Age but it might accurately be called the Golden 19 Years.

Throughout Lords of the Sea are lessons and meanings relevant to our time. Of course, differences are easy to spot. Nobody today would think oar rowing aboard a trireme was a good job, and the getting of such a job would not be dependent on proof of citizenship. But the mistakes the first democracy rushed into bear some resemblance to mistakes made in recent times. We remain vulnerable to hubris.

Although I have read a good deal of military history in the past 35 years, I was almost did not try this book. Some good books have come out lately retelling stories of well known naval campaigns from a different emphasis and I was not ready for another one of those trying to make a whole book out of Salamis. But most of the material in this book was totally new to me. Yes, the battle of Salamis and its far-reaching influence on the development of western civilization is well known. But of the naval battle that immediately preceded it, I was largely ignorant. And after Xerxes' invasion, when you think the climax of the book would have already come, you aren't even half-way through the book. It goes on to describe many naval and combined naval-marine campaigns in detail, most of which were new to me. And it brings to life briefly many accomplished Greek fleet commanders who were new to me, also. You circle through the eastern Mediterranean from Salamis to Macedon, to Byzantium, to Sinope, down the cost of Asia Minor, up the Nile through Lower Egypt, across to Sicily, up to Corfu, and through the Peloponnese back to Athens. In the process the Author covers many aspects beyond the battles and the tactics such as ship construction, the place of the sailors in society, emancipation of slaves through naval service, the trophies and use of the proceeds of naval supremacy. The book has good maps and other illustrations. The Author, although an Academic, wrote a very readable and entertaining book. It was actually a joy to read. I first purchased the MP3 recording to listen to while exercising but I hadn't quite finished it before I had to purchase the hard back: not only to more comprehensively read the story, but where else are you going to find a map of the battle of Goat River? Having given a few other recent books a "5", I would have given this one a "7" if I could have.

My compliments also to Amazon.com for advertising the book and the MP3 recording well before their release. I waited until I saw the first few reviews posted before I thought it was a good bet. I hope this review in turn encourages someone else to plunge into the Aegean.

Don't let anyone convince you otherwise, Lords of the Sea: The Epic Story of the Athenian Navy and the Birth of Democracy by John Hale is a well written, well researched and thoughtful presentation relating to the history of Athens. While certainly fitting for academic circles, I believe that Mr. Hale has written this book for the interested amateur, someone like myself. While I've read extensively about Sparta and the Spartan culture, Hale's book is a departure for me, and a good one at that.

One of Hale's initial points is that the development of the Athenian Navy had far reaching, and in some cases unexpected results. All society's at this time were made up of usually very sharply defined classes. Athenian society was no exception. The lowest class in Athens was the Thetes. Themistocles' plan was pretty simple, at least at first blush. A fleet of triremes would be built using windfall silver available to Athens. One hundred triremes would require seventeen thousand oarsmen. Who would pull the oars of these warships? Slaves? Captives? Themistocles was a smart man. Let the Thetes pull the oars. This would employ the lowest citizens in the class structure, effectively injecting money into a class level that had never really known such income. The original "trickle down" theory! And it worked.

Hale makes clear that Themistocles was no slouch when it came to political planning. Rightfully called the father of the Athenian Navy, his foresight set Athens on the road to greatness placing the Navy at the center of their culture. It would be for others to keep it there. For a time it seemed as though Athens sphere of influence would continue to grow unhindered. However, in the end the burden of their "foreign policy" became too much to sustain. Perhaps there is a lesson for others to learn from.

Hale's examination of the Athenian Navy and its impact on Athenian society is certainly worth the reading. From the victories at the battles of Artemisium and Salamis to the humiliation at Amorgos, Hale's investigation appears to be complete, at least to this untrained eye. However, Hale looks beyond the battles. He investigates the interaction between the power players of the day but never allows the reader to lose sight of the fact that it is the Athenian Navy the rules the seas at the end of the day. An early version of the "big stick" policy. Very insightful.

Lords of the Sea, at 318 pages of text is a demanding but rewarding read. The book does seem to bog down when one admiral and one battle after another marches by, but that is typical of books of this type. This fact is not a major minus to this book and may be a plus to some readers. Also provided are a Chronology, a very helpful Glossary, and the very valuable Notes on Sources.

Lords of the Sea is a superior investigation into the Athenians and is highly recommended.

Discussions of Athens and Sparta in the Classical Greek era tend to be ideological. In the 19th century scholars compared the conflict to that between Britain and Napoleonic France. In the 20th it was the West vs. the Soviet Union. The fact is that Athens left us monuments and literature, while Sparta left only memories of stern, military men. In this book John Hale basically offers a selective reading of Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon and some others focusing on naval affairs. The premise that enrolling lower class Athenians as rowers in the navy made them hungry for political power and so led to democracy is not a new one. Hale describes key moments in naval history in almost novelized form. The egalitarian navy was the basis of Athenian power, led to democracy, which in turn paved the way for the glories of the Classical Golden Age. This is a simple story, with an obvious appeal to modern western sensibility.

Readers can enjoy this story but should also be aware of some uncomfortable issues: Democratic reforms began in Athens well before the glory days of the navy and many other poleis had navies without becoming democracies. If Spartans were all brawn and no brain, slow to adapt and in Thucydides words 'the perfect enemies' because of their bumbling, then how to explain that they WON the war? Moreover, they did it by adapting and building a navy, not having had one before, and winning the so called Ionian phase of the war at sea. Their navy did not lead to democracy either. Hale gets around this problem by extending his scope beyond our traditional understanding of the Peloponnesian War to Athens' eventual (but brief) resurgence and Sparta's decline. This is like saying that in our own times Germany really won WWII because if we merge WWII with the Cold War we can claim that Germany eventually became the powerhouse of Europe while Britain lost its Empire and dwindled away.

The other subtle problem is that Athenian democracy was not an unalloyed good. The concept of `democracy at home, but dictatorship abroad' was first used to describe Athens' behavior in the 5th century BCE towards its so-called allies. It is clear from Thucydides that the Athenians were rash, bellicose and inconsistent. The stability of the Spartan government begins to look more admirable. Finally, Socrates' death sentence was probably the last straw that turned thinkers like Thucydides, Plato and Aristotle away from democracy. Turning the argument on its head, Plato perceived the navy as the enemy of peace and good government and used his story of Atlantis as a cautionary allegorical tale about the pitfalls of naval power. Finally, neither democracy nor the navy proved much use against Philip and Alexander of Macedon.

So, readers should enjoy the survey of Classical Greek history but take with a pinch of salt the paean to the Athenian Navy and democracy.

John Hale has set himself an ambitious goal to chronicle the history of the Athenian Navy from the days of the Persian Wars until the final surrender to the Macedonians. This is a mighty task and for the most part, Hale is up to the challange. John Hale is a naval archaeologist who has dedicated a long and productive career to the study of the Greek and Roman maritime world. Not only a serious scholar, Hale is also a gifted writer with a talent for vividly resurrecting a long gone world.

My only criticism is that Hale has bitten off too much history to condense into one volume. The role of the
Athenian Navy in the Persian Wars, the Peloponnesian War and the rise of Alexander the Great are all worthy of individual books. I wish that Hale had followed the example of Donald Kagan who wrote a multi-volume history of the Peloponnesian War. One can only hope that such an engaging writer will in the future go back and tell the story of the rise and fall of the Athenian Navy in a more measured way.

Lords of the Sea is a historical tome that reads like a novel. More than dry history, this book moves along keeping the reader interested. You don't need to be a history fanatic to make sense of the story. It pulls you along from start to finish. Rather than dissecting each point of history, more than one plot goes on at a time keeping the reader interested like a good mystery. It is from the wars between Persia and Greece that East became East and West became our Western Civilization.


For people with absolutely no background in the subject of Ancient Greece, there is a 33 page Introduction at the beginning of the book that explains when it all took place.

John Hale's LORDS OF THE SEA is that rare combination of impeccable scholarship and beautifully riveting writing. The first pages of the introduction alone provide one of the most beautiful prose passages one could ever read in a history book, almost like a Sappho poem in its sensory imagery, while being entirely factual. The reader can almost hear, feel and smell the details of an approaching Athenian trireme because the writing is so clear.

Since Hale is an esteemed archaeologist with nautical as well as Classical training, he understands material history from marine contexts as well as shipbuilding and sailing practicalities. He has elsewhere published meticulous academic studies on boats and seamanship in antiquity, including pragmatic studies on ancient Greek rowing for SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN (1996), and has multiple peer-reviewed journal articles on military history. Even his Cambridge doctorate in archaeology is on shipping in antiquity, so his accounts are not only seaworthy but honed by decades of critical review. Hale capably writes about initial Athenian control of the Laurion silver mines as a stimulus to new economic status along with Attic ability of outfitting a fleet for distant trade with the Black Sea and elsewhere. He also examines Athenian formation of the Delian League and subsequent political maneuvers and intrigues. This accessible book also carefully documents new demographics of Athenian naval power that leveled the playing field to the advantage of Greek commoners, allowing democracy to burgeon in the Golden Age of Athens like nowhere else. Hale's analyses and commentary on ancient sources such as Herodotus and Thucydides are well-reasoned and reliable.

As a university archaeologist and historian myself, I know how difficult it is to achieve this balancing of sound scholarship with good writing. It is so significant a book on Athenian naval history and seamanship in antiquity that I will be using it henceforth in Stanford courses.

John Hale is among the world's leading authorities on the ancient Athenian navy. He also is a straightforward and clear writer whose narratives move swiftly. But his book raises question as to just how much the average lay reader needs to know about that navy. The first 100 (in particular the first 40) pages of his book are fascinating in describing ancient warship designs, exactly how the ships were built, basic ancient naval tactics, the origin of Athens' fundamental decision to rest its future on naval power, and how that decision may have influenced Athenian politics. In the latter regard, Hale argues that Athens' switch to reliance on naval power, which depended on its lower class citizens to row those ships--as vs. previous reliance on infantry and cavalry manned by the upper classes who could afford body armor and horses--moved Athens towards a more genuine democracy by imbuing its more humble citizens with a spirit of reform and greater participation. It's a tantalizing and persuasive theory, though at a distance of 2500 years it's difficult conclusively to link institutional developments to political sociology or to apportion causation as between the masses and the great leaders (Pericles and others) who actually initiated and led the reform process.

After those first 50-100 pages, the 318 page book (not including footnotes and bibliography) becomes primarily a campaign/battle history of the Athenian Navy over the 150 year period from the Persian Wars through the Peloponessian Wars and the Macedonian conquest of Greece. Hale does a very good job of describing the campaigns and major battles, and the book contains excellent maps illustrating a number of them. But for the average layman, this "one battle after another" narrative may prove tedious. Occasionally, it is enlivened by tales of the clever wiles of commanders who deceived their opponents...in an age when such tactics made a difference before our modern era of battle outcomes largely determined by meat-grinder logistics. It also occasionally offers interesting illustrations of the inclusion of naval themes and issues in the writings of the major Greek philosophers and playwrights. Still, if you are not a battle "buff," the lengthy combat narrative--however well done--will tax your patience.

So how one responds to this book will depend considerably on what he is seeking. If you want a general view of the Athenian Navy and how it influenced Athenian society, you can confine yourself to about the first 50-100 pages. If you are a military history fan who wants a blow-by-blow account of the major Athenian naval campaigns during the era of Athens' naval supremacy, then you will enjoy the entire book. It's either a 3-star or a 5-star rating depending on one's interests. Mine led me to rate the book as 3 stars, but afficionados of fine-grain battle history will--with justice--give it 5 stars.