| The condition of the forests played a major role in the story of Greece during the fifth century B.C. The wooden ships of Athens enabled the defeat of the Persians between 480-470 B.C. Then Athens began a major re-building effort. To finance this building boom required silver, mined not far from Athens. Smelting the silver ore required lots of charcoal--made from trees. |
The ancient ruins we can still see today are made from stone, but wood was essential in the creation of these buildings. Photo credit Corel Photo Clipart CD.
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| After the war between Sparta and Athens ground to a halt, Macedonia became the major power in the area because of its plentiful forests. Quantities of timber were so valuable they were used as bribes and bargaining chips in the political maneuvers of ancient empires. When Rome conquered Macedonia in 167 B.C. it recognized the strategic value of timber and prevented the Macedonians from cutting their forests further. |
| The population of Athens also boomed, and reached a peak about 450 B.C. Wood became more scarce and more expensive. One option was for Athens to try and get more timber by conquest. The Peloponnesian War, fought between Athens and Sparta, was largely about control of timber supplies. Both city states needed huge amounts of wood to build their fleets of war ships and forge weapons. In fact, when Sparta invaded, they cut down the forests of Attica and struck a crippling blow to Athens. |
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