Mrs. Behan
Latin I
04/26/17
The Development of Roman Ships
This paper will explain the development of Roman boats and ships. Roman ships were brisk, reliable, and rather safe. They usually had a huge square sail, a smaller small foresail, and two huge side rudders off the stern controlled by a small tiller bar. The ship technology of Roman ships remained unequaled up until the 16th century, especially when it came to size and cargo capacity. Roman boats played a significant part in Roman Culture it was also instrumental to the use of trade, war traveling and importing slaves and other things from other countries and continents.
Ancient Roman military ships copied and improved upon Greek ships. Military ships had to be maneuverablemanoeuvrable, …show more content…
They remained the dominant types of vessels used for war and piracy in the Mediterranean Sea until the last decades of the 16th century. As warships, galleys carried various types of weapons throughout their long existence, including rams, catapults and cannons, but also relied on their massive crews to overpower enemy vessels in boarding actions. They were the first ships to effectively use heavy cannons as anti-ship weapons. As highly efficient gun platforms they forced changes in the design of medieval seaside fortresses as well as refinement of sailing warships. Galleys are a type of ship that is propelled mainly by rowing. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft and low freeboard. (clearance between sea and railing). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be used in favorable winds, but human strength was always the primary method of propulsion. This allowed galleys to navigate independently of winds and currents. The galley originated among the seafaring civilizations around the Mediterranean Sea in the early first millennium BC and remained in use in various forms until the early 19th century in warfare, trade and