Many have heard the word "galley". Where did it come from, what types of galleys are known, what was so special about these ships that they were built even in Tsarist Russia? Let's find answers to all these questions.
What is a galley?
This word refers to a special type of sea vessel on which oars were used as a driving force. At the same time, the galleys also had sails, usually triangular in shape.
These ships were especially popular with pirates and military sailors. While other types of vessels were more often used for trade.
Etymology of the word "galley"
For the first time the name "galley" was recorded among the Greeks. They called such ships the word γαλέη, which later gave rise to the Latin term galea.
After the Romans, this name found its way into almost all European languages, where it has survived to this day. Thanks to which of them the term "galley" got into the Russian language is unknown. Judging by the spelling, after Latin, it was borrowed from Italian (galera), and then either through Polish (galera), or through German (Galeere), or through French (galère)got into Russian.
It is definitely known that this noun could not have been borrowed from the English language, since it lost the letter "r" in it - turning into a galley, which could not but be reflected in the Russian spelling.
A little about the history of galleys
What is a galley, as well as the origin of this term has already been discussed above. Now it is worth paying attention to the history of this type of ship.
Due to the fact that in the old days the ships were built of wood, few exhibits have survived to this day, with the help of which you can accurately determine which ships were used in the era of the ancient world. Despite this, scientists suggest that sailors actively sailed on galley-like ships back in the days of Ancient Egypt and Phoenicia.
Much more information has survived about the use of these vessels in Ancient Greece. It is generally accepted that galleys in this state served as warships as early as 800 BC. After the Greeks, the Romans adopted the fashion for such ships, and after them all the countries that had access to the Mediterranean Sea.
In addition to the Greeks, the Turks were especially famous for using galleys. Due to the high speed and maneuverability of such ships, for many centuries they could hold the lead in military power.
In the Russian Empire, the first galleys appeared in the second half of the 17th century.
The creation of their drawings and construction took place thanks to the influence of Peter I. He made sure that ships of this type became an indispensable attribute in the militarynaval arsenal of the empire until the end of the 18th century. It was they who helped in future Russian-Turkish wars. But later they were supplanted by ships with steam engines.
What types of galleys existed in the old days
What are galleys we found out. Now let's find out what types of these ships existed:
- Bastard galleys were slower and less maneuverable. But because of their voluminous hull, they carried more cargo than on conventional warships. Due to this property, mainly merchants sailed on such galleys since the time of the Ancient World.
- Zenzile galleys were real warships. They were smaller, but faster. Such ships were actively used for combat operations. In addition, such vessels were a favorite means of transportation for pirates.
Also, galleys are divided into three types according to the number of benches for rowers.
- Brigantines numbered eight.
- Galeots - from fourteen to twenty.
- Fusts - from eighteen to twenty-two.
The hard life of galley rowers: fact or fiction
Since the oars were the main driving element of the galleys, it is worth paying attention to who was sitting on them. According to a common misconception, every galley rower is a slave, brutally tortured by an overseer. In fact, in different countries and at different times, rowers were treated far from being the same.
Thus, in the days of Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, rowers on warships were most often specially trainedsoldiers. Their work was respected and well paid.
The same practice was used during the Middle Ages. After all, it was necessary to sail on a ship for quite a long time and dangerously. Therefore, those who sailed in the galleys preferred to trust their lives to professional rowers. And they, in turn, were interested in their employers safely sailing to the goal and paying them for their work.
But closer to the beginning of the 17th century, when the galleys gradually began to be replaced by new, more progressive types of ships, a tradition arose to use convicts and slaves as rowers. Moreover, captured Muslims rowed on Christian ships, and the followers of the Prophet Muhammad turned Orthodox and Catholics into rowing slaves.
With the discovery of America and the beginning of the era of the black trade, slaves from Africa began to be used more often in the galleys.
At the same time, at all times, rowers were treated much better than slaves on land. Since the survival of the crew of the ship depended on them, they were fed fairly well, their he alth was monitored and they were given time to rest. Indeed, in the event of the death of most of them, the crew itself would have to sit on the oars.
It is worth noting that many convicts preferred to be rowers in the galleys rather than just sit in jail. After all, the captains of the ships often treated them much better than the jailers.
Modern "galleys"
Galleys are in the distant past. Today they can only be found in museums. However, in Turkey there is a very popular holiday destination, whose name is consonant with the word "galley". Speech ideas aboutfive-star hotel Galeri Resort ("Galeri Resort"), located on the Mediterranean coast (city of Alanya). Despite the notorious 5 stars, this establishment is still inferior to many Mediterranean resorts located in other countries.
If financial possibilities do not allow you to spend a vacation in a five-star Galeri Resort, you can find another hotel in Alanya - "Galeri" (Galeri 4), for example. It is located in the same city and, although only one star behind the aforementioned Galeri Resort 5, is a great place to stay. It will be affordable for most domestic tourists.
In addition to the names of Turkish hotels, consonant with the word "galley" is the name of a whole collection of dahlia varieties - "Gallery". This series consists of 17 varieties.
Each of them is named after some famous artist, such as Gallery Pablo or Gallery Rembrandt. A feature of the Galeri varieties is that they are not only very beautiful, but also resistant to weather adversity.
