Ancient Galley

The Sea Peoples

Ancient Galley Sail 21 Min Read

Invasions by the mysterious Sea Peoples in the 12th century BC not only devastated the Hittite Empire but also forced the Egyptians back to their traditional Nile kingdom. In Ramses III eighth regnal year, the Sea Peoples attacked. This event, comprising two separate attacks by land and sea, was a result of the enemy presence hovering along the settled coastline…

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Ancient Galley 11 Min Read

Roman Seas Roman Naval Myths

There are several myths that surface when talking about Roman naval history. Most of these come to light whenever I put on an ancients Roman naval miniatures game and they should be dispelled. The below list are the most common misconceptions about Roman naval history: Myth Number 1: The Romans…

Ancient Galley 12 Min Read

The Rise of the Super-Galley

L’Encyclopédie Navale Les Hyper-galères Hellénistiques (420-30 av. jc.) The race to build more powerful ships with the capacity to carry larger contingents of mariners was driven by the increasing incidence of naval warfare. The obvious solution to the problems of how to increase oar power without greatly increasing vessel length…

Ancient Galley 11 Min Read

The Byzantine warships and their tactics

Reconstruction of an early 10th-century Byzantine bireme dromon by John H. Pryor, based on references in the Tactica of Emperor Leo VI the Wise. Notice the lateen sails, the full deck, the fore- and mid-castles, and the Greek fire siphon in the prow. The above-water spur is evident in the…

Ancient Galley Ancient Warfare Battle Navies 10 Min Read

Salamis on Cyprus in 306 BC

Ptolemy’s fleet, the appropriated Phoenician navy, made the Egyptian dynast a powerful force in the Aegean. The strategic location of Rhodes and Cyprus, as we have said, made control of both of them desirable. Cyprus was also rich in grain, copper, and especially timber, which Ptolemy needed for his fleet,…

Ancient Galley Ancient Warfare Naval Warship 17 Min Read

Battle of the Delta

Battle of the Delta was a sea battle between Egypt and the Sea Peoples, circa 1175 BCE when the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses III repulsed a major sea invasion. Illustration by Igor Dzis A contingent of the Sea Peoples Invasion came by water. The Ramesses III reliefs text at Medinet Habu,…

Ancient Galley Roman 19 Min Read

Colonization and Rome’s Early Navy

In this period of political fragmentation amongst the Latins, marked by the rise of more powerful and cohesive polities, we also have some very intriguing developments in the area of colonization. As noted previously, early Roman colonization probably resembled the Greek practice in many ways. This was not because the…

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The Sea Peoples

Invasions by the mysterious Sea Peoples in the 12th century BC not only devastated the…

Roman Seas Roman Naval Myths

There are several myths that surface when talking about Roman naval history. Most of these…

The Byzantine warships and their tactics

Reconstruction of an early 10th-century Byzantine bireme dromon by John H. Pryor, based on references…

Roman Naval and Amphibious Warfare

It is ironic that, at the very time Rome established its naval forces on a…