The Distance to Simi is 5 Miles - imagine the Sea here filled with 1'200 Persian Ships
Two days ago, we arrived in the waters between the Anatolian mainland and Rhodes, which is a mere 10 nautical miles away. Today, we are getting even closer to Greece when sailing 2 miles past Simi. Sadly, we cannot visit this cute little island. Custom formalities are now too cumbersome. It takes hours to get clearance.
The Persian Empire with 50 Million People was the World's first big Empire
What is today the borderline between Greece and Turkey was around 500 BC the borderline between the Persian Empire and the Greek world. The mighty Persian Empire reaching from Pakistan to the Aegean and the Black Sea to Egypt had decided to punish the Greek for their support of the Ionian Rebellion (Miletus, Priene, Ephesus, Chios etc) - a costly six years war which challenged Persia’s rule in Asia Minor.
The Ionian War lasted full 6 Years with many bloody Sieges
According to the Greek Historian Herodotus, the Persian King of King mobilized 1.7 million troops and 1’200 ships to attack Athens and its Allies. The story of the Persian Wars has been told many times - better than I ever could. I will focus on the logistics of the campaign instead. Bringing 1.7 million men to Greece was no mean feat given that Greek lands barely support the own population. The Greek colonized the Mediterranean to survive – Magna Graecia in Southern Italy and Sicily was more populous and powerful than mainland Greece.
Xerxes, Persian King of King, watching his Troops crossing the Dardanelles on a Ponton Bridge
I am unable to opine on Herodotus’ numbers. They are disputed and many historians believe they are exaggerated by the factor 2 – 3. Be it as it may, we know that Athens had about 300 Trireme at the famous Battle of Salamis. The Persian a few more. We also know that the Persians lost 1/3 of their fleet in a storm near Magnesia north of Euboea. Most of them cargo ships which were more difficult to maneuver than the more agile, oar propelled warships.
Xerxes' Navy followed the Persian Army closely to support it with essential Supplies
For my calculations I assume that Persian soldiers and sailors need 6’000 calories per day when moving or fighting - the soldiers in my tank battalion consumed the same number of calories. This translates approximately into 2 kilos of bread or 1.5 kilos of barley per day – the Persian’s main cereal. 1 million men (850'000 Army personnel, 150'000 naval staff) would thus consume 1’500 tons of barley a day. Or 180’000 tons for a four months’ campaign. Large Roman ships with 30-meter length could carry around 300 tons. Earlier Phoenician ships were smaller at 20-meter length. I guess they carried half the tonnage. Thus, there would be 1’200 Phoenician sailboats required to carry the supplies for the Persian Army.
A Greek Trireme had 170 Rowers and 30 Warriors on Board
The magnitude of these figures sounds probable. Of course, these proxy calculations do not allow for more precision. A Persian fleet with 400 Trireme for fighting and 800 sailboats for supplies would amount to the number that Herodotus mentioned. The Triremes’ primary purpose was the protection of the Persian supply ships without which the army would have to surrender or retreat. And once the Persians lost 300 warships at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC, they indeed withdrew and left only a small occupying force in Greece.
In Attack Mode, a Trireme reached up to 9 knots of Speed - Rowers were not Slaves but Sailors who would pick up Weapons for Fighting Deck to Deck once the Ships collided
With the loss of most of its Trireme, the Persian supply line became vulnerable to attacks by fast Greek warships. The long supply line, stretching over almost 700 nautical miles, was now the Persian Achilles' heel. As we used to say in war academy “Amateurs talk about tactics – professionals talk about logistics”. Persia would have to rebuild the protective umbrella over its supply line before it could continue the campaign. Or loose the army - something even an empire with 50 million people could not afford.
The Battle of Salamis on a French Map from 1785
We are now in the waters where the Persian fleet assembled before crossing over to Greece. A fleet of more than 1’000 ships – all the size of today’s 20- to 30-meter sailboats – must have been an awesome sight. Moving slowly at 5 miles per hour it must have taken them at two weeks to sail from the Levant to Bodrum. It would take another full week for them to reach the waters of Piraeus.
Six 30 meters long Goulets near Koca Ada - imagine 200 times more Boats!
Given the size of the fleet, every town in the Levant and along the Anatolian coast must have contributed. We know from written sources that Halicarnassus (Bodrum) had to contribute 5 ships. If every port town contributed 5 – 10 ships we talk about 200 towns. Am just marveling about the organization and effort this must have taken to arrange. Couriers with royal orders must have been sent to each harbor town, boats to be built and fitted, crews to be selected. What an effort and planning - at least a year before departure!
Halicarnassus (Bodrum) contributed 5 Trireme to the Persians
The effort on Athens’ side was similar. Thanks the silver mines in Aegina and Sifnos, Pericles’ massive ship building program (a wall of wood) could be financed. But imagine the effort to carry the necessary timber from the Greek mountains to the shores where the boats were built. In one way or another, every Greek citizen must have been involved.
These days, the sea is not empty either. So far, I counted at least 100 Gulets who allow people to enjoy the beauty of the Turkish Riviera. Compared to 2'500 years ago, this is progress.
Bình luận