It is no coincidence that the rise of Athenian democracy goes chronologically hand in hand with the rise of the Athenian navy. Following the defeat of the Persians by the Greeks, Athens' naval successes allow it to surpass the previous naval power of Corinth; create the Delian League to finance and support this navy; and eventually ruffle enough feathers with their fellow Hellenic neighbors to inspire the Peloponnesian War. Overall their naval reputation and intimidation derives from the skill of the men who maneuver and command the ships and from the instrument they use to exercise their power, the Athenian trireme. By looking at the design of the trireme, the work and numbers put into both the ship and the men who man it, it is hoped that both the wealth and skill of the Athenian navy can be adequately highlighted. Ultimately, it is precisely this immense power and resources that allow the Athenians to overstep their limits and cause demoralizing defeats such as the expedition to Syracuse and the final loss of the Peloponnesian War, after which they prove unable to rise to the same undefeated . they were a maritime power. ARCHAIC GREEK NAVY/SHIPS One of the first examples we hear of the Athenian navy is in the archaic period of the epic poem the Iliad. Homer states that Athens, led by Menestheus, contributed 50 ships to the war efforts at Troy, which places it among the largest contributors (Jordan, Athenian Navy in the Classical Period 1975, V). This could already perhaps show a potential Athenian reputation as a maritime power among the Greeks. Unfortunately this is difficult to take without a grain of salt due to its literary nature, but it could contribute to the perception of Athenian power. Before the Athenians it was the Corinthians who were in ru...... middle of paper ..... .now let's move on to all the different components that must be brought together to form even a single ship; massive resources, up to two hundred men, a long period of training: it is not surprising that naval warfare proves to be an extremely expensive and therefore risky undertaking (Hale 2009). Works CitedFields, Nic. Ancient Greek warships. Oxford: Osprey, 2007.Haas, Christopher J. “Athenian Naval Power Before Themistocles.” Historia, 1985: 29-46.Hale, John. Lords of the Sea: The Athenian Navy and the Birth of Democracy. New York: Viking, 2009. Jordan, Borimir. Athenian navy in the classical period. Berkeley: University of California Publications, 1975. Jordan, Borimir. "The crews of the Athenian triremes." L'Antiquite Classique, 2000: 81-101.Starr, Chester G. "Thucydides on Sea Power." Mnemosyne, 1978: 343-350. Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. New York: Free Press, 1996.