#ancient trireme

[ltwilliammowett]

Old and new

Olympias is a reconstruction of an ancient Athenian trireme and a great example of experimental archaeology. It is also a commissioned ship in the Greek Navy.

[imperium-romanum]

Calling All Rowers: Ancient Trireme "Olympias" Set to Sail (video) | GreekReporter.com

The trireme "Olympias," the world's only working model of an ancient trireme, will be available again this summer to the public for tours. The iconic ship of classical Athens led to its total dominance of the seas in those centuries.

By Tasos Kokkinidis

“The trireme “Olympias,” the world’s only working model of an ancient trireme, will be available again this summer to the public for tours. The iconic ship of classical Athens led to its total dominance of the seas in those centuries. Lucky visitors may visit the stunning wooden vessel or even try their hand at rowing it, out in the Saronic Gulf.’

“It is the fourth year in a row that the trireme will be open to visitors and volunteer rowers.”

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[ltwilliammowett]

Olympias is a replica of an ancient Athenian trireme of 480 BC,  and an important example of experimental archaeology. It is also a commissioned ship in the Hellenic Navy of Greece, the only commissioned vessel of its kind in any of the world's navies.

[ltwilliammowett]

A Roman war trireme of the first century BC can be drawn quite accurately from reliefs of the time. It was propelled either by three banks of oars or by a square sail, the mast being taken out (as shown) before battle. The lower-bank oars were manned by one slave each, the middle by two, and the upper by three. This wargalley needed 144 rowers. Armament comprised a ram, a drawbridge (corvus) for boarding, a catapult (onager), and a carroballista which fired arrows and blazing darts. The buffer above the ram prevented the galley ramming too far into an enemy ship. The castle was a vantage point for the commander as well as a refuge in battle.