In the book, the Lords of the Sea: Epic Story of the Athenian Navy and the Birth of democracy, Hale uses a sea-level viewing of the Athens that plays a significant role in gripping the way to approach a story that has been narrated severally. In the book, Hale uses simple and vigorous sentences that are consistent from the first to the last page. The main thesis in the narrative is that the construction and the setting of the Athenian army consisted of warships of lightweight that were driven by oarsmen resulted in an advanced form of democracy among the people. The Athenian army had the strongest military worldwide as seen in the narrative for more than one and a half centuries. Hale primary purpose of writing this novel was to give the history of the Athenian classical democracy and the results that it yielded. Without the Athenian navy, the Republic of Plato would not have been formed. Unlike, during the Persian wars, before the introduction of democracy among the Athenian army, the Athens could not produce great traditions of architecture, historical writing and philosophy. However, the period that resulted after the Athenians decided to transform the society into a naval power, great philosophies and traditions emerged in the community.
The Athenians worked hard to ensure that it built a system that played a significant role in pulling societies together. Hale stipulates that the Athenians are uniquely placed in the human history of most communities. The democratic government among the Athens community comprised of the gathering of the male citizens to discuss on the matters that affected the Athenians lives. They discussed financial, religious, public and private matters during the assemblies. Further, men were allowed to speak their minds leading to the formation of courts that played the role of improving legislation in the society. Thus, this resulted in the formation of a protection Navy that allowed the community to prosper. Moreover, the Navy played a significant role in driving and fighting the enemy communities that would have prevented democracy in the community. Hale indicates that the Sophocles were responsible for commanding the fleets of triremes.
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2 The lord of the sea talks about war since it discusses the battles, both in the waters and in the land, between the Athenians and the enemies such as the Persian armies. The use of triremes markets the onset of new tactics used in wars. Further, Hale stipulates that the battles were fought in such a way that those in the fight did not fight hand-to-hand with the enemies, but rather they used the triremes, which used the strategies by butting the opposing ships. 2However, the naval power that played a significant role in bringing wary success among the Athenians were also involved in the destruction of the society.
The Athenians provoked its enemies through campaigns and reckless non-commitment to the signed treaties due to the strong nature of its army, as well as, the fact that it was difficult to maintain it. Moreover, the army was difficult to maintain and was rendered insatiable by Plato and Aristotle. The golden age for the Athenians community ended in 322 BC when its army was defeated in a war by the strong Macedonian army. Hale indicates that the era ended abruptly and compared to switching off the light.
3 Hale’s primary purpose of writing the book was to emphasize the importance of a strong navy in bringing up democracy. In the book, the purpose is contradicted since ate the end of the narrative about the Athenians, the naval battles described as important for the onset of democracy begin to overlap in the mind of a reader. The naval became disintegrated and were substantially defeated leading to the loss of the great philosophies and architecture that had characterized the community. In the book, Hale omits some details that may have helped in bringing out the purpose of the narrative in a clear and concise manner. Some of the information emitted includes the way in which the men fed and the ways in which they relieved themselves. Moreover, the way in which the support crews were necessary and the domestic life that the Navy men lived is also omitted. 3However, the book, Lord of the Sea, is good enough since it lives a reader with the urge of wanting to hear more of the wars. Hale, knows how to tell the war stories showing that he is an intellectual historian
In conclusion, the narrative, the lords of the sea, the main purpose has been brought out in the story. The war theme is the primary topic that has been raised in the narrative since Hale focuses on the violent nature of the Athenian protecting navy that conquered the majority of the battles on the land leading to the onset of the golden age that was characterized by significant innovations and architecture. However, at the end of the narrative, the Athenians are defeated in war leading to the fall of the golden age. The primary purpose of the novel, of the importance of a robust and unified army in improving democracy, is shown to the reader before the completion of the book since it portrays the fall of the Athenian army.
References
Hale, John R., and David Drummond. 2009. Lords of the sea: the epic story of the Athenian Navy and the birth of democracy . [Old Saybrook, Conn.]: Tantor Audio.
