According to archaeologists, the era of shipbuilding takes its countdown 5 thousand years ago, when ancient people began to explore the seas and oceans. Ancient Roman and Greek ships were the most famous, because both powers were located in the most favorable climate region and traded actively with neighboring countries, for which sea routes were the most profitable.
The era of the birth of shipbuilding
Warships were already built in the 15th century. BC e. in Phoenicia, Egypt and Babylon in order to protect the country from pirates and campaigns on the territory of neighboring states. Both merchant and military ships improved over time, their maneuverability and combat capabilities, size and displacement increased.
The main driving force of the Greek ships was rowing, because they were controlled by the muscular strength of the slaves who sat on the oars. Although the sail was installed on military ships, they were raised only with a fair wind.
The designs of ancient Greek ships wereborrowed from the Phoenicians. Shipbuilders paid maximum attention to ships for carrying out military operations at sea, so they had to be durable and maneuverable. Interestingly, until the beginning of the 5th century, Mediterranean craftsmen began building a ship with a sheathing, and only then moved on to the internal structure.
Varieties and materials
Ancient Greek ships were built of two types:
- trade - wider and clumsier, but capable of carrying heavy and bulky goods;
- military - light and maneuverable, equipped with rowers with oars and a sail, in front of each there was a ram to attack enemy ships during the battle.
The ancient Greeks covered the hull with animal skin, and the lining was of different thicknesses: near the keel and at the height of the deck it was thicker. The belts were fastened with paired seams, and they were attached to the body with wooden pins or bronze nails. Later, in the construction of military and commercial ancient Greek ships, beech wood paneling began to be used. To protect the deck from flooding waves, a bulwark was made of canvas; in the lower part of the ship, up to the waterline, sheathing was made of lead sheets. The hull was then painted and greased.
All wooden parts were made from various types of wood, based on strength and function. The frames were made of durable acacia, the spars (devices for the sail) were made of pine.
The sails were either rectangular or trapezoidal. Initially, only straight lines were used.rake, which could only catch a fair wind. In addition, warships sailed in coastal waters and more often used rowing power. There was also a small sail - an artemon, hanging on an inclined mast at the bow of the ship. Before the start of the battle, the sail was necessarily folded so as not to interfere, and the masts were removed.
Ancient Greek ships: famous names
The vessels were set in motion by oars, which were used by rowers sitting on both sides of the sides. They were recruited from among the slaves or for payment for the period of hostilities.
Depending on the number of oars, there are 2 types of ancient Greek ships:
- triakontor - has 30 rowers and oars;
- pentekontor - 50-oared ship (25 on each side), more often deckless.
Over time, a deck was built on the pentecontors, which served as protection from the sun and enemy projectiles. However, it was impossible to accommodate many warriors in a narrow space, so wider, but slower ships were built to transport them, on which it was possible to transport not only people, but also horses, war chariots and supplies.
The speed of such ships was about 17 km/h. Rowing efficiency was low, therefore, to increase the speed of movement, the ships were made narrow and long: the width of the pentekontor was only 4 m with a length of 32 m. the ship's speed was proportional to its length.
Howeverancient technologies did not allow the creation of ships with a length of more than 40 m. To increase speed, they began to build ships with two, three or more rows of oars.
In accordance with the number of rows of rowers, the names of ancient Greek ships were divided into: uniremes, biremes, triremes, quadroremes, etc., which can also be called "polyremes" (multi-tiered).
Unirema
The simplest Greek uniforms or moners (Greek Μονερις), according to Homer, formed the basis of the Greek fleet during the siege of the city of Troy. An ancient unirema is an ancient Greek military ship with one pair of oars, or rather, one tier, when the rowers sit in a row. The displacement of such a deckless vessel was up to 50 tons, the equipment consisted of 12 pairs of oars, each with 2 rowers. A rectangular sail was used only with a fair wind direction.
The first moners were built for reconnaissance, which could only be carried out by a fast ship capable of developing great speed and maneuverability. Military power was not originally used for it.
Gradually, shipbuilders began to increase the size of the unirema, adding to it a battle ram, which was used as a giant metal spear up to 10 m long. It was located in the underwater part of the ship and was the main weapon.
According to the conclusion of the researchers, the unirema is considered the most maneuverable and mobile rowing vessel in the ancient era. Such ships were used in Phoenicia, Carthage, Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, as well as throughoutsubsequent wars in the Mediterranean.
There were also some varieties of moner: actuary and liburna, small maneuverable vessels used for communications and intelligence operations, delivery of light cargo. The design difference was that the rowers sat on 2-3 balconies, which helped to row independently of each other. The sides were high, there was also a ram, but not a combat one, but a decorative one.
Greek bireme
Diyers or biremes - rowing ancient Greek warships, which the Phoenicians began to build in 9-7 centuries. BC e. for sailing in the Mediterranean. They differ in double tiers of oars and are widely distributed in Egypt, Greece and Phoenicia. With the same length of the hull, an additional row of rowers, sitting, as it were, on 2 floors, provided greater speed and power. In order to make the bireme more stable, the platform with rowers (crinoline) began to be lowered lower, to the level of the hull.
The main weapon of the Greek warship is a ram, which was made of metal, most often bronze. It was located in the forward protruding part of the ship and during the battle was supposed to pierce enemy ships. A battering ram in the form of a trident or a boar's head was attached to the keel bar.
Sailing armament was used only with a fair wind. The stern of the ship (acrostol) was decorative and specially curved, shaped like a scorpion's tail.
If necessary, some types of ships were equipped with an additional row of oars and then they were already calledtriremes. Management was carried out with the help of 2 large steering oars placed at the stern. There were 25 pairs of rowing oars.
Trireme or trireme
The birthplace of the ancient Greek triremes (Greek Τριήρεις) scientists call Corinth, where the armored warships of the Greeks - cataphracts were later created. The displacement of such vessels reached 230 tons, length - 45 m, the number of crew members - up to 200 people.
The ancient Greek ship of the trireme already had 3 tiers of oars, for the latter they additionally cut holes in the side of the vessel, which, if necessary, were closed with special curtains. The length of the oars was the same and amounted to 4.5 m. The most powerful rowers "tranits" sat in the top row, their work was generously paid, because they considered themselves privileged. For them, a narrow platform was installed on the upper deck, where they sat along the edge.
Zygits were sitting in the middle row, and talamites were in the lower row, the flutist sitting at the stern - treopores - set the rhythm for the rowers. All of them obeyed their boss - the gortator, and the trierarch commanded the ship. The total number of oars on such a warship could reach up to 170. However, all 3 rows were used only during hostilities.
The crew of the trireme also increased: during the battle it was about 200 people, among whom were not only slave rowers and warriors, but also sailors who could control the sail. The length of the ship was 40 m, width 6 m. The combat deck was solid, and below it was a hold. The commander hadown cabin at the stern.
The number of masts and sails on such a ship has also increased. The underwater ram served as a continuation of the keel and reached 3 m, was equipped with an iron tip to destroy the side of the enemy ship. Additionally, a metal beam was placed above the ram, with the help of which enemy oars broke when ships collided.
Biremes and triremes for several centuries remained the most popular military ancient Greek ships. According to historical data, in 482 BC. e. battle fleet in Athens with a population of 250 thousand people. consisted of almost 200 triremes. In peacetime, they were also used to transport vehicles, people and horses.
Polyremes and penthers
Depending on how the ancient Greek ships were called (uniremes, biremes, triremes, etc.), one can judge how many rows of rowers were located on them. According to historical data, the Greeks went further in the development of shipbuilding and built a warship in Syracuse, which had 5 rows of oars - a pentera. They were located 30 on each side of the ship, each heavy oar was moved by 5 rowers, there were 300 of them on board. 25-30 sailors were added to the crew to control the sail. The vessel could carry 120 fully armed warriors.
Later, the tesarakontera was also created - the ancient ancestor of modern battleships, a floating fortress with a displacement of 3 thousand tons. It was equipped with battle towers in which archers were hiding, and a high upper deck served as protection from enemy arrows.
To armswarships also included slings, ballistas and catapults installed on board. They were used to throw arrows, stones or an incendiary mixture of sulfur, tar and bitumen.
Features and tactics of the battle of Greek ships
The most important tactical technique that was widely used on ancient Greek ships in a sea battle is the use of boarding, in which the ships converge, ram each other, grapple. Then comes the time for hand-to-hand combat between warriors.
The Greek fleet, as it developed, already consisted entirely of battle triremes, equipped with strong iron rams at the stern.
The advantages of such ships can be judged from the historical fact of the victory of the Greeks in the battle with the Persians near Salamis, which took place in 480 BC. e. The superiority in the number of ships was on the side of the Persians (1200 versus 380), however, the swift Greek triremes quickly defeated the clear formation of enemy ships. Their rams broke the sides and oars of the enemy, then quickly made a detour maneuver and pierced the stern.
In addition to the usual fodder, other types of rams were used:
- "dolphin", used from 6-5 tbsp. BC e., - a very heavy load, made in the form of an animal of the same name, which was suspended by a cable on a beam standing perpendicular to the side of the ship; in a collision, with its weight, it pierced the deck and even the bottom of the ship;
- corvus - a bridge for boarding with a double cable, mounted on the bow and hinged, had a sharp metal spur inin the shape of a raven's beak, when lowered aboard an enemy ship, the corvus firmly clung to the deck, and the attacking warriors got over the boarding bridge and engaged in hand-to-hand combat;
- harpagi - boarding hooks used to hook an enemy ship.
On each trireme in battle there were hoplites - warriors with fairly heavy weapons, who had leather shields for protection, as well as a detachment of archers and shooters from a sling. A possible victory in battles depended on their ability to conduct hand-to-hand combat and shoot.
Greek trading ship
It was possible to recreate the appearance of ancient merchant ships with the help of the reconstruction of the remains found in the waters of Kyrenia, a port in Cyprus. The body found by archaeologists turned out to be flattened under the water column at a depth of 30 m.
The length of the ancient Greek trading ship was 14.3 m, width 4.3 m. Radiocarbon analysis of the wooden hull and bronze coins found in it showed that the age of the ship is almost 2300 years. The keel was made of solid oak wood, the frames were made of black acacia, the skin was made of red beech and linden. The mast, yards and oars are made of Allep spruce.
The only sail on merchant ships played a more significant role and was used for movement, while there were fewer rowers compared to a warship. There was no deck, cargo was located inside. To prevent waves from overflowing into the hull, the sides were built up with a lattice made of thick rods. The skin was then pulled over it from above.
The main feature of merchant ships was their capacity and reliability, but speed was secondary. According to chronicles, such a ship could sail up to 40 km per day, which was quite far in those days.
Names of ancient Greek ships that were used to transport goods:
- lembos - a single-masted vessel, a 4-corner sail, fixed on a yardarm, sometimes they put an additional small sail for maneuvers;
- kelets - had a hold with a large capacity, 5 in. BC e. the Greeks even used a special compartment for transporting horses;
- Kerkurs - light sailing ships, invented in Cyprus, and then became popular with Greek merchants, design feature: the interior of the hull was divided into a hold and 2 tweendecks. In the Middle Ages, such a device was adopted by Arab traders, and then by Europeans, who called the ship "karakka" or "caravel".
Their designs were improved quite quickly: they put 2 masts, used a tilt to the bow like a bowsprit, increased the volume of holds and carrying capacity. So, with a length of 25 meters, a merchant ship could carry 800-1000 tons of cargo. When raising the sails on the masts, the ships could sail even with a side wind. While sailing, the merchant ship loaded the hold with sand ballast.
Reconstruction of ancient ships
The most famous name of the ancient Greek ship, which is mentioned in the myths, is the "Argo", the legendary ship of the Argonauts, who made a trip to Colchis, located on the Black Sea coast. In 1984d. a group of like-minded people led by the English scientist and writer Tim Severin made a 1500-mile journey from Greece to Georgia on an exact copy of the ancient ship and proved the real possibility of the events described in the myths.
One famous modern attempt to recreate an ancient life-size ship took place in Greece. The construction of the Olympia trireme continued in Piraeus for almost 2 years and was completed in July 1987. It was financed by the Greek Navy and the English banker F. Welch. The ship is now owned by the Greek Navy.
Olympia is the only fully functional ship with a crew of 200. Its length is 37 m, width 5.5 m, equipped with oars and sails. Over the years, the ship has been tested several times, during which a team of 170 athletes was able to accelerate it to a speed of 17 km / h, which is shown by a photo of the ancient Greek ship Olympia.
Since 2004, she has been on display as a public museum exhibit in the dry dock at Paleon Faliron, near Athens. For lovers of vintage sailing ships, the Olympia is a fine example of the craftsmanship of shipbuilders and demonstrates the swimming ability, perfection and beauty of ancient Greek ships.
