Provisioning and Sea Power in Athens

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  • アテナイにおける糧食支給と海軍力優位論
  • アテナイ ニ オケル リョウショク シキュウ ト カイグンリョク ユウイロン

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Abstract

The idea of the state supplying soldiers with rations was rather new for the Greeks in the second half of the fifth century B C Previously, it had been common for hoplites to supply rations as well as weapons for themselves and for their expeditions to conclude in a short time It wasn't until Athens began, around 470 B C, calling out citizens for naval expeditions that provisioning came into common practice, particularly when Athens was fighting Persia and trying to dominate the sea Since the seminal work of K Tanzer, the provisioning of soldiers has been studied mostly as an aspect of the history of military systems, and especially as a theory of supply This paper argues that the principle of state provisioning of soldiers, first established in Athens, became a basic factor in the predominance of sea power Pericles (Thuc I 141-44) and the author of Athenaion Politeia (Ps Xenophon) both explained the value of naval domination and the strategic predominance of Athens as a sea power by pointing out the inferiority of land expeditions depending on the traditional supply system Though they emphasized the mobility of a navy, naval supply was more restricted than that of the army Thus, as naval operations elicited new battle conditions unsuited to traditional supply systems, Athens established a principle whereby the state secured the living of soldiers on the basis of payment of money for rations The predominance of sea power insisted upon a solution of the provisioning problem Thus, it is easy to understand the importance of funds in long war and the strategy of abandoning the Attic fields The new principle was not only a prerequisite for the effective activity of the navy, but also contributed to the development of democracy in Athens by building a state where demos could play a more active role

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