Trierarchy

The trierarchy was an important part of the military governance in Athens . A trierarch ( Greek  τριήραρχος ) undertook to equip and command a trireme for a year.

The trierarchy was established in 483/482 BC. Introduced as a replacement for the naukrarias , which were no longer sufficient since the naval building program initiated by Themistocles . Later Trierarchs could command other warships than Trier.

Since the strains of the Peloponnesian War towards the end of the 5th century BC Became too big, the system of financing was changed in 410 BC. Chr. Changed. From now on the Syntriarchy applied , where two Trierarchs financed a Trier. 357 BC BC (or shortly before) the burdens were further distributed by a law introduced by a periander that introduced the symmetry . Demosthenes set 340 BC. A reassessment carried out after which only 300 Athenians were eligible as Trierarchs and poorer Athenians were therefore no longer included.

Outside Athens, the commander of a warship was generally referred to as the trierarch, even if, unlike the Attic trierarchs, he did not pay for its financing.