[*]Ancient harbors were much harder to defend than modern ones, because there was no long-range artillery to prevent an enemy from thrusting into an open haven among defenseless shipping.

[+]Zea had accommodation for 196 triremes, Munychia, 82, and the Cantharus, 94.

104.  The Great Naval Arsenal.—­The ship houses are not the only large structures at the navy yard.  Here is also the great naval arsenal, a huge roofed structure open at the sides and entirely exposed to public inspection.  Here between the lines of supporting columns can be seen stacked up the staple requisites for the ships,—­great ropes, sail boxes, anchors, oars, etc.  Everybody in Athens is welcome to enter and assure himself that the fleet can be outfitted at a minute’s notice[*]; and at all times crews of half-naked, weather-beaten sailors are rushing hither and yon, carrying or removing supplies to and from the wharves where their ships are lying.

[*]This arsenal was replaced a little later than the hypothetical time of this narrative by one designed by the famous architect, Philo.  It was extremely elegant as well as commodious, with handsome columns, tiled roofs, etc.  In 360 B.C., however, the arsenal seems to have been a strictly utilitarian structure.

105.  An Athenian Triearch.—­Among this unaristocratic crowd we observe a dignified old gentleman with an immaculate himation and a long polished cane.  Obsequious clerks and sailing masters are hanging about him for his orders; it is easy to see that he is a trierarch—­one of the wealthiest citizens on whom it fell, in turn, at set intervals, to provide the less essential parts of a trireme’s outfit, and at least part of the pay for the crew for one year, and to be generally responsible for the efficiency and upkeep of the vessel.[*] This is a year of peace, and the patriotic pressure to spend as much on your warship as possible is not so great as sometimes; still Eustatius, the magnate in question, knows that he will be bitterly criticized (nay, perhaps prosecuted in the courts) if he does not do “the generous thing.”  He is therefore ordering an extra handsome figurehead; promising a bonus to the rowing master if he can get his hands to row in better rhythm than the ordinary crew; and directing that wine of superior quality be sent aboard for the men.[+] It will be an anxious year in any case for Eustathius.  He has ill wishers who will watch carefully to see if the vessel fails to make a creditable record for herself during the year, and whether she is returned to the ship house or to the next trierarch in a state of good repair.  If the craft does not then appear seaworthy, her last outfitter may be called upon to rebuild her completely, a matter which will eat up something like a talent.  Public service therefore does not provide beds of roses for the rich men of Athens.

[*]Just how much of the rigging and what fraction of the pay of the crew the government provided is by no means clear from our evidence.  It is certain that a public-spirited and lavish trierarch could almost ruin himself (unless very wealthy) during the year he was responsible for the vessel.