Ancient Greek Warship 500–322 Bc

Formidable and sophisticated, triremes were the deadliest battleships of the ancient world. Primarily longships designed to fight under oar power, the trireme was built for lightness and strength; ship-timber was mostly softwoods such as poplar, pine, and fir, while the oars and mast were made of fir. Their main weapon was a bronze-plated ram situated at the prow.

From the Greek naval victory at Salamis (480 BC), through the Peloponnesian War, and up until the defeat by the Macedonians at Amorgos, the Athenian trireme was an object of dread. This book offers a complete insight into the most potent battleship of its time; the weapon by which Athens achieved, maintained, and lost its power and prosperity.