Necho II constructed warships, including questionably triremes. The Athenians had built dozens of warships known as triremes to defend Greece. Artaxerxes' army comprised 300,000-foot soldiers, 30,000 cavalry, 300 triremes, and 500 transports or provision ships. The Punic navy had a fleet of 50 quinqueremes and 5 triremes stationed there. According to Herodotus, the Persian fleet initially numbered 1,207 triremes. Squadrons of triremes employed a variety of tactics. According to Herodotus, the fleet sent by Darius consisted of 600 triremes. The Carthaginian fleet, escorted by 60 triremes, sailed to Panormus instead. Polycrates sent 40 triremes to the Persians. Herodotus claims that Leotychides had 110 triremes under his command. The Athenians and Eretrians sent a task force of 25 triremes to Asia Minor. The Spartans, meanwhile, had 43 triremes and a large land army. For the crew of Athenian triremes, the ships were an extension of their democratic beliefs. However, he writes that the next year, the Persian fleet numbered 300 triremes. These experienced sailors were to be found on the upper levels of the triremes.