Triremes were the dreadnoughts of the classical era. They were expensive and required a great deal of maritime expertise, not to mention social class cohesion, in order to be effective in battle. The Athenian democratic political structure led to Athens dominating the seas until losses in the latter part of the Peloponessian War meant a degradation of the quantitative and qualitative advantages they held over the Spartans.

Trireme from didactylos47's photostream

Equally important was the logistical structure supporting the triremes. This is true for most military endeavours; American hegemony currently is based upon American dominance of logistics such that their forces can maintain a high tempo indefinitely. This was also true of the British military in their hay day. Triremes were short range weapons heavily reliant on human labor at the oars. Consequently they needed constant water and food provisioning.

Hanson writes:

Much of Athenian foreign policy, including its efforts to maintain an overseas empire in the Aegean, cultivate allies such as Argos and Corcyra, and establish dependencies at distant Amphipolis and Potidea, was predicated on just the need to create permanent bases to facilitate long-distance cruises.

Trireme harbours were not unlike the British Empire's network of coaling stations throughout Africa and the Pacific to serve its late-nineteenth century global fleet.

This is not unlike John Reeve's argument that the establishment of a navy is a sign of the maturity and political stability of a nation-state since the economic, social, manufacturing, logistical and technical demands of a navy are so high.

Cam Riley: South Sea Republic. Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic.