Sketch of a Roman Warship

Sketch of a Roman warship, part of a Roman merchant ship and a vessel with sail set. National Maritime Museum, London. The Romans used galleys, both as merchant ships for trading, and as warships. They made many long sea journeys in these vessels, but stayed quite close to the coast. Their fighting galleys were powered by rowers, sitting in one, two or three lines. The main weapon of the galley was a ram, a pointed piece of wood fixed to the bow of the ship. The ram was crashed into the side of the enemy ship at speed. The ships also carried archers and men with spears. Sometimes the galleys were fitted with a mast and one square sail, but they were taken down during battles.
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