Piraeus, (meaning the place over the passage), has been inhabited since the 26th century BC. During the prehistoric period, Piraeus was a rocky island consisting of the steep hill of Munichia, (modern day Kastella), and was connected to the mainland by a stretch of land that was flooded with sea water most of the year. It was, also, used as a salt field, that is the reason why it was known as Halipedon.
Piraeus was inhabited around the middle of the 3rd millennium BC. This opinion is reinforced by the residues of Protohellenic settlements revealed in the areas of Old Kokinia and Keratsini, (temporary placed between 2600 and 1900 BC).
Despite that fact, Piraeus remained for many centuries an insignificant small city without any particular interest for the Athenians until its exploitation during the 5th century BC. Piraeus was declared a municipality in the year of 517 BC. based on the administrative reform of Cleisthenes, (the founder of Athenian democracy).
In 493 BC., Themistocles initiated the fortification works in Piraeus and later advised the Athenians to take advantage of its natural harbor’s strategic position.
In 483 BC., the Athenian fleet was transferred to Piraeus where it was built in its shipyards, distinguishing itself at the sea-battle of Salamis against the Persian in 480 BC. Since then Piraeus was used as the navy base for the fleet of Athens.
After the second Persian invasion, Themistocles fortified the three harbors of Piraeus, (Mega, Zea, Mounichia), and created the ship houses, (known as neosoikoi).
The Themistoclean Walls were completed in 471 BC., turning Piraeus into a powerful military and commercial harbor. This harbor included:
- excellent fortification, (traces of which survive even today)
- all the necessary facilities, such as quays, docks, market places etc.)
- public buildings, theatres and temples
- excellent street layout
The city’s fortification was farther reinforced later by the construction of the Long Walls under Cimon and Pericles, with which Piraeus was connected to Athens. Meanwhile, the city was rebuilt to the grid plan of architect Hippodamus of Miletus, (Hippodamian plan), and the main agora was named after him as an honor. According to Thucydides, «To this land due to the size of the city, comes everything from everywhere»…
During the Peloponnesian War, (431-404 BC.), Piraeus suffered the first breakdown. In the second year of the war, the first cases of the plague were recorded in Piraeus.
In 404 BC., the Spartan fleet under the command of Lysander blockaded Piraeus and subsequently Athens surrendered to the Spartans.
Finally, the course towards the decay started in the Macedonian period, to be followed by the Roman invasion and the destruction of the city by Lucius Cornelius Sulla, in 85 BC. The destruction was completed in 395 AD. By the Goths under Alaric I. Piraeus was led to a very long period of decline for fifteen centuries.
During the Byzantine period, the harbor of Piraeus was occasionally used by the Byzantine fleet or by other piratical ships that took advantage of the Aegean Sea…
In 1456, Piraeus became known as the Aslan Liman, (Lion’s port), a name given by the Turks during the Ottoman occupation of Greece. A marble statue of a lion was placed almost in the same spot where the Old Town Hall was built. The same lion was looted, in 1687, by Francesco Morozini during his expedition against Athens and was carried to the Venetian Arsenal, where it still stands today. We do not know neither its sculptor, nor the time of its design, nevertheless, a copy of the lion statue is in display at the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus.
Throughout the Ottoman occupation, Piraeus was mostly deserted, with the exception of the monastery of Saint Spyridon, (1590), and a customs house.
Although there were several land owners, Athenians did not choose to live in this area.
Finally, there were two failed attempts to create a new town, the first in 1792 by bringing population from the island of Hydra, and the second during the Greek War of Independence, in 1825, by the installation of people from the small island of Psara.
The permanent inhabitation of the area began in the year of 1829. In this way, Piraeus became a small town with huts and farm-buildings, while its population consisted mainly by fishermen…
With the creation of the modern Greek state and the proclamation of Athens as the capital in 1832, Piraeus developed, once again, into a significant commercial and industrial centre. The town was established as a municipality in the year of 1835 and mayor of the city was elected Kyriakos Serfiotis from Hydra. At that time, Piraeus numbered around thirty inhabitants.
Piraeus, quickly became the leading port, as well as the second largest city of Greece. New buildings were constructed to cover the necessities created, such as churches, the Town Hall, the Stock Exchange Building, the Central Market and many others. At the end of the 19th century, Piraeus had a population of approximately 51,000 people.
After the period of 1912-1922, Piraeus experienced a great demographic explosion, with its population reaching the number of 252,000 inhabitants in the year of 1928, (after the arrival of the Greek refugees from Asia Minor)…
