TheParalus orParalos (Greek:Πάραλος, "sea-side"; named after a mythological son ofPoseidon), was an Atheniansacred ship and a messengertrireme of theAthenian navy during the late 5th century BC. Its crew were known for their vehement pro-democracy views. It played a notable role in several episodes of thePeloponnesian War.
TheParalus appears more often in the literary andepigraphical sources for the classical period than any other individual ship;[1] it carried almost all recorded Atheniandiplomatic missions in the 5th and 4th centuries, and it appears that on most of these missions the treasurer (tamias) of Paralus acted as the chief ambassador.[1]
The crew of theParalus (theParaloi) was known for its exceptionally strong pro-democracy views; its remarkable unity on this matter may indicate that it was composed of the members of a singlegenos of the nameParaloi.[2] This crew was instrumental in preventing anoligarchiccoup atSamos in 411 BC. On bringing the news of this event to Athens, however, they found that a successful oligarchic coup had taken place there, and were interned; one crew member, escaping, brought the news of this event to the fleet at Samos, beginning the period of open division between the city and the fleet.
In 405 BC, theParalus was one of ten ships that escaped from the Athenian disaster atAegospotami withConon; it was then dispatched to inform Athens of the defeat, its arrival setting off a citywide panic.[3]