x 7KH5RPDQVSUHIHUUHG¿JKWLQJRQODQG$FFRUGLQJO\UDWKHUWKDQ
using the ramming strategy, they tended to favor naval battle tactics
that involved ships meeting in such a way that the soldiers they
FDUULHGFRXOG¿JKWHDFKRWKHUx Naval warfare had already been tending this way with the
construction of larger warships; they could carry greater numbers of
soldiers and were less maneuverable, but they often had collapsible
wooden turrets from which several men could shoot bows or even
throw down rocks on an enemy’s deck. They also began to carry
catapults and ballistas that could hurl stones or oversize arrows at
the crews of opposing ships.Historical Background and Opponents
x In the 150 years following Cynoscephalae, the Roman Republic
swallowed up the remaining Hellenistic kingdoms and extended
its boundaries around almost the entire coast of the Mediterranean
The Olympias, a modern replica of a trireme, proved surprisingly fast in trials,
achieving speeds of more than nine knots for short bursts.
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