Large-scale warfare was rare for the Ancient Greeks. Their warfare more commonly consisted of skirmishes and destruction of the enemy's crops. Although Athens was arguably the most powerful of the Greek city-states, its soldiers, like those of all other Greek city-states (with the exception of Sparta), were ordinary citizens, not professionals.

Land Warfare

The Athenians were by no means the leading land warriors of Greece — that role was filled by the Spartans. Despite this, between the years 497 BC and 338 BC, Athens was at war for three out of every four years.

The Athenians had three types of troops: cavalry, hoplites and light-armed troops known as peltasts. The cavalry were drawn from the richest citizens, as owning and keeping a horse was expensive, then as now. However, the cavalry had limited uses, as they only carried spears. Stirrups had not been invented, so they could be easily unhorsed. They also had only a pad between them and the horse, not a saddle. However, cavalry service was probably safer than fighting in the infantry.

Hoplites were the main strength of Greek armies. They wore a cuirass, or breastplate, made of toughened linen, or, for the richer men, bronze. They also wore a helmet and greaves¹. Hoplites carried a large, heavy shield called a hoplon and used a spear and occasionally a sword.

Athens did not have regular units of light-armed troops known as peltasts, but did use them from time to time. They were mostly drawn from the poorest citizens and used bows and arrows, javelins or slings. Alternatively, on occasion, mercenaries were hired to fulfil this role. However, in the description the Athenian historian Thucydides gives of the Athenian battles against Syracuse in the 420s, these troops do not appear to be very important or threatening. They came into their own after this time.

Tactics

Most Greek armies at this time arranged their men in a phalanx, a deep formation which was very effective. There was, however, a tendency for the whole infantry to wheel to the right, as every hoplite understandably tried to shield his unprotected right side behind the shield of his neighbour². As a general rule, the Athenians did not use complicated tactics: a general's role was exhausted once the troops were engaged, and the opposing phalanxes would fight it out. However, cavalry was usually placed on the wings where it could make an impact on the flanks of the enemy.

One of the great victories of the Athenian infantry was at the Battle of Marathon.

Naval Warfare

What the Athenians lacked in land warfare skills³, they made up for at sea. It was Thermistocles, an Athenian leader, who in about 492 BC persuaded the Athenians to use the money from their new silver mine to fund a fleet, as opposed to dividing it among the citizens. The design of warship used was the trireme, so named because it had three banks of oars.

Remains of a ship-shed at Piraeus Harbour in Athens shows that triremes were about 35m long and about 3.5m wide. The ship would be propelled by about 170 rowers working in shifts, though it could also use its sails if necessary. The rowers would be either mercenaries or low-class Athenian citizens. These men became very important politically due to the huge power the navy won for Athens, as the navy was the main force for keeping the Delian League in line. Other men on the ship were the trierarch (commander), steersman, rowing officer, bow officer, a handful of archers, a quartermaster and a carpenter.

Tactics

The trireme's weapon was a bronze ram at the bow⁴ used to ram enemy ships and hole them under the waterline. Sometimes they also tried to shear off the oars of other ships, which would leave them sitting ducks, but this technique required considerable speed and skill.

The Athenian navy was the most powerful in the Greek world and was crucial to Greek victory at the Battle of Salamis against the Persians.

Although the Athenians were effective soldiers on land and pretty much without peer among the Greeks at sea, they were not perfect. They got thrashed by the Spartans and their Peloponnesian⁵ allies at the end of the Peloponnesian War.