ing her a great naval
power, and for this purpose adequate docks and arsenals were required.
Previously the Athenians had used as their only harbour the open
roadstead of PHALERUM on the eastern side of the Phaleric bay, where
the sea-shore is nearest to Athens. But Themistocles transferred the
naval station of the Athenians to the peninsula of Piraeus, which is
distant about 4 1/2 miles from Athens, and contains three natural
harbours,--a large one on the western side, called simply Piraeus or
The Harbour, and two smaller ones an the eastern side, called
respectively ZEA and MUNYCHIA, the latter being nearest to the city.
It was not till the administration of Pericles that the walls were
built which connected Athens with her ports. These were at first the
outer or northern Long Wall, which ran from Athens to Piraeus, and the
Phaleric wall connecting the city with Phalerum. These were commenced
in B.C. 457, and finished in the following year. It was soon found,
however, that the space thus enclosed was too vast to be easily
defended; and as the port of Phalerum was small and insignificant in
comparison with the Piraeus, and soon ceased to be used by the Athenian
ships of war, its wall was abandoned and probably allowed to fall into
decay. Its place was supplied by another Long wall, which was built
parallel to the first at a distance of only 550 feet, thus rendering
both capable of being defended by the same body of men. Their height
in all probability was not less than 60 feet. In process of time the
space between the two Long Walls was occupied on each side by houses.

It will be seen from the preceding description that Athens, in its
larger acceptation, and including its port, consisted of two circular
cities, the Asty and Piraeus, each of about 7 1/2 miles in
circumference, and joined together by a broad street of between four
and five miles long.

Such was the outward and material form of that city, which during the
period between the Persian and Peloponnesian wars reached the highest
pitch of military, artistic, and literary glory. The latter portion of
this period, or that comprised under the ascendency of Pericles,
exhibits Athenian art in its highest state of perfection, and is
therefore by way of excellence commonly designated as the age of
Pericles. The great sculptor of this period--perhaps the greatest the
world has ever seen--was Phidias, to whom Pericles intrusted the
superintendence of all the