The Trireme by Olivia Smith

The Trireme (or Trieres in Greek) Dominant war vessel of Ancient Mediterranean civilizations from the 7th century to the 4th century BCE

The Trireme Crew Greeks of many classes served on triremes The total number of people was around 200 Politicians with limited naval experience served as captains The helmsman had more naval authority, and next in line was the lookout There were approximately 25 trained officers on board, 14 spearman and 4 archers Usually there were about 170 rowers on board There were 62 thranites (upper level), 58 zeugites (middle level), 54 thalamites (lower level)

Size and Shape long, narrow and light vessel built for speed Best used in close combat, on calm seas about 120 feet long had three decks of oars and a mast, which was sometimes removed because rowing was quicker and more reliable At the bow, it had two big oars used for steering the bottom deck was 18” above the water line

Purpose The trireme served as the popular warship of the Classical Age Its light and narrow build made it easily maneuverable and fast (it reached 12 knots) Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and many others used this incredible naval weapon The name “trireme” brings to mind reaming or ramming something, which is exactly what the ship often did The pointed bow was perfect for attacking enemy vessels

Appearance and Style Commonly painted and carved with designs Had an eye on the front to scare off bad luck Long and thin Made by mortise and tenon method, light wood pieced together

Greco-Persian War and The Trireme The trireme played a vital role in warfare, especially the Greco-Persian War of the 4th century BCE The Trireme saved the Greeks from near-defeat by a massive Persian invasion Greece faced an enormous invasion by the Persian empire under Xerxes A prior incident with the Persians assured Greeks that the best way to defeat the Persian empire was by naval combat consultation with the Oracle at Delphi convinced Athenian politician Themistocles to battle the Persians in a narrow sea passage The trireme was ideal for close combat in calm seas so she proved an ideal vessel for the ensuing Battle in the strait of Salamis

Battle of Salamis Themistocles convinced the Greeks that they must fight the Persians at the Strait of Salamis, where the narrow passage would give Greeks the advantage Various Greek city-states rounded between 380 and 450 ships, most of which were triremes, for the upcoming battle Sparta contributed the naval commander for the Greeks: Eurybiades The Persians were drawn in to the Greeks’ trap, expecting easily victory

The Battle of Salamis continued The battle was said to have been led from a particular trireme which made the first attack Triremes rammed and destroyed many Persian vessels with few Greek losses The Greeks defeated the tremendous Persian fleet because their triremes were superior to Persian ships

Bibliography http://www.richeast.org/htwm/Greeks/kapost/ship.html http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/war/Trireme.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trireme http://trieres.net/ http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~loxias/trireme.htm Strauss, Barry. The Battle of Salamis: the Naval Encounter That Saved Greece—and Western Civilization. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2004.