Criminal
02-28-2004, 02:28 PM
http://www.hm.spb.ru/images/Ori72006/ORI72006_600.jpg
http://myron.sjsu.edu/romeweb/ROMARMY/art20.htm
Roman Seamen
Contrary to what has been depicted in such great Hollywood movies as Cleopatra and Ben Hur, most men at the rowing benches of Roman warships were ordinary legionaries who preferred fighting on land. Though they often grumbled when their commanders required them to row a warship and spend long, seasick months training for an impending sea fight, these true Roman soldiers pitched in and did their part. After all, their lives depended on their ability to row and almost everyone preferred death standing on his two feet in a land battle to a cold, watery grave!
http://s_van_dorst.tripod.com/reparmy.html
The military power of the Roman state had until the Punic Wars been mainly based on land. The struggle with Carthago forced the Romans however to become a maritime power as well. During the First Punic War a large fleet was built from scratch allegedly using a stranded Carthaginian vessel as a prototype. The standard type of warship was the quinqueremis with five rowers on three banks. The lack of skill of the Roman sailors meant that the traditional manner of naval combat with manoeuvring galleys trying to ram their opponents was abandoned for a new approach. Roman vessels were equipped with a corvus or raven, a movable boarding bridge which enabled the Romans to turn naval battles in engagements between marines rather than ships. This new invention enabled the Romans to score some spectacular successes against the Carthaginian fleet, but the added weight of the boarding bridge made their vessels less seaworthy resulting in heavy losses due to storms.
The achievement of military superiority on sea during the Punic Wars enabled the Romans to land their land forces on the coast of North Africa to bring the war to their enemy. The naval supremacy gained by the Roman fleet also resulted in Carthago, formerly relying on its sea power, choosing to fight the Second Punic War on land instead. With the demise of Carthago as a leading naval threat the Romans lost interest in maintaining a powerful fleet themselves. With the seas no longer patrolled by warships this led to an increase in piracy in the Mediterranean.
http://www.uah.edu/student_life/organizations/SAL/misc/romanwarmach.html#cten
The war-ships (naves longae) of Caesar's time rarely had more than a single sail, and were propelled mainly by means of oars. There were usually three rows or banks of oars (triremes); but we read of vessels with one, two, four, and even five banks of oars. The rowers kept time to the sound of a horn or click of a hammer. The rudders (gubernacula) were not like those of today, but consisted of two large paddles thrust down into the sea on both sides of the stern. The anchor was like those of our time. At the prow, near the water-line, was the ship's beak (rostra), consisting of one or more sharp metal-pointed beams thrust out some distance, the aim of which was to pierce the side of the enemy's vessel.
Before going into action the sail was rolled up and the mast taken down; a tower was raised on the front part of the ship, from which missiles could be hurled over into a vessel near at hand; grappling-hooks were provided, by which the opposing ship might be seized, and a movable bridge that could be thrown across in boarding. The ensign was a square or oblong flag (vexillum); that of the admiral's vessel was distinguished by a purple color. Ships built for quick movement, for inspecting the enemy's strongholds and harbors, and similar undertakings (naves actuariae), were small and light. For the carrying of his troops Caesar used transport-ships (onerariae naves), which were broader and slower than the galleys; these were accompanied by war-ships as escort (IV. xxii. 13 et seq.; V. viii. 13-15).
The Roman naval tactics consisted mainly in either propelling a vessel with great force against a rival and crushing the side, or in catching hold of the hostile craft with hooks, pulling alongside, springing over on it, and settling the conflict with a hand-to-hand fight. In the sea-fight with the Veneti, who had only sailing vessels, the Roman sailors crippled the enemy's ships by cutting down the sail-yards. (III. xiii-xv).
http://myron.sjsu.edu/romeweb/ROMARMY/art20.htm
Roman Seamen
Contrary to what has been depicted in such great Hollywood movies as Cleopatra and Ben Hur, most men at the rowing benches of Roman warships were ordinary legionaries who preferred fighting on land. Though they often grumbled when their commanders required them to row a warship and spend long, seasick months training for an impending sea fight, these true Roman soldiers pitched in and did their part. After all, their lives depended on their ability to row and almost everyone preferred death standing on his two feet in a land battle to a cold, watery grave!
http://s_van_dorst.tripod.com/reparmy.html
The military power of the Roman state had until the Punic Wars been mainly based on land. The struggle with Carthago forced the Romans however to become a maritime power as well. During the First Punic War a large fleet was built from scratch allegedly using a stranded Carthaginian vessel as a prototype. The standard type of warship was the quinqueremis with five rowers on three banks. The lack of skill of the Roman sailors meant that the traditional manner of naval combat with manoeuvring galleys trying to ram their opponents was abandoned for a new approach. Roman vessels were equipped with a corvus or raven, a movable boarding bridge which enabled the Romans to turn naval battles in engagements between marines rather than ships. This new invention enabled the Romans to score some spectacular successes against the Carthaginian fleet, but the added weight of the boarding bridge made their vessels less seaworthy resulting in heavy losses due to storms.
The achievement of military superiority on sea during the Punic Wars enabled the Romans to land their land forces on the coast of North Africa to bring the war to their enemy. The naval supremacy gained by the Roman fleet also resulted in Carthago, formerly relying on its sea power, choosing to fight the Second Punic War on land instead. With the demise of Carthago as a leading naval threat the Romans lost interest in maintaining a powerful fleet themselves. With the seas no longer patrolled by warships this led to an increase in piracy in the Mediterranean.
http://www.uah.edu/student_life/organizations/SAL/misc/romanwarmach.html#cten
The war-ships (naves longae) of Caesar's time rarely had more than a single sail, and were propelled mainly by means of oars. There were usually three rows or banks of oars (triremes); but we read of vessels with one, two, four, and even five banks of oars. The rowers kept time to the sound of a horn or click of a hammer. The rudders (gubernacula) were not like those of today, but consisted of two large paddles thrust down into the sea on both sides of the stern. The anchor was like those of our time. At the prow, near the water-line, was the ship's beak (rostra), consisting of one or more sharp metal-pointed beams thrust out some distance, the aim of which was to pierce the side of the enemy's vessel.
Before going into action the sail was rolled up and the mast taken down; a tower was raised on the front part of the ship, from which missiles could be hurled over into a vessel near at hand; grappling-hooks were provided, by which the opposing ship might be seized, and a movable bridge that could be thrown across in boarding. The ensign was a square or oblong flag (vexillum); that of the admiral's vessel was distinguished by a purple color. Ships built for quick movement, for inspecting the enemy's strongholds and harbors, and similar undertakings (naves actuariae), were small and light. For the carrying of his troops Caesar used transport-ships (onerariae naves), which were broader and slower than the galleys; these were accompanied by war-ships as escort (IV. xxii. 13 et seq.; V. viii. 13-15).
The Roman naval tactics consisted mainly in either propelling a vessel with great force against a rival and crushing the side, or in catching hold of the hostile craft with hooks, pulling alongside, springing over on it, and settling the conflict with a hand-to-hand fight. In the sea-fight with the Veneti, who had only sailing vessels, the Roman sailors crippled the enemy's ships by cutting down the sail-yards. (III. xiii-xv).