PĂRĂLUS

( πάραλος ), and SĂLAMĪNĬA ( σαλαμινία ). The A then i ans from very early times kept for public purposes two sacred or state ve els, the one of which was called Paralus and the other Salaminia : the crew of the one bore the name of παραλῖται or πάραλοι , and that of the other σαλαμίνιοι . The Salaminia was also called Δηλία or Θεωρίς , because it was used to convey the θεωροὶ to Delos, on which occasion the ship was adorned with garlands by the priest of Apollo. Both these ve els were quick-sailing triremes, and were used for a variety of state purposes: they conveyed theories, despatches, . from Athens, carried treasures from subject countries to Athens, fetched state criminals from foreign parts to Athens, and the like. In battles they were frequently used as the ships in which the admirals sailed. These ve els and their crews were always kept in readine to act, in case of any nece ity arising; and the crew, although they could not for the greater part of the year be in actual service, received their regular pay of four oboli per day all the year round. The names of the two ships seem to point to a very early period of the history of Attica, when there was no navigation except between Attica and Salamis, for which the Salaminia was used, and around the coast of Attica, for which purpose the Paralus was destined. In later times the names were retained, although the destination of the ships was principally to serve the purposes of religion, whence they are frequently called the sacred ships.