Roman Warships
Title Details

228 Pages

24 x 17.2 cm

40 colour. 81 b/w. 29 line.

Imprint: Boydell Press

Roman Warships

by Michael Pitassi

  • Description
  • Contents
  • Reviews
An examination of Roman naval development, drawing upon archaeological evidence, documentary accounts and visual representation.

The Roman Imperial Navy was the most powerful maritime force ever to have existed, prior to the European naval development of relatively recent centuries. It was able to deploy huge fleets and dominate the seas around western Europe, north Africa, and the Middle East, as well as the great rivers that formed a large part of the eastern boundary of the Roman world. It secured the trade routes and maintained the communications that allowed the Roman Empire toexist. It brought previously untouchable and unreachable enemies to battle and enabled the expansion of Imperial power into areas thought hitherto inaccessible. At the height of its power the Roman Navy employed tens of thousandsof sailors, marines and craftsmen, who manned and maintained a fleet of warships far larger than anything in existence today. And yet these warships, the very tools that allowed the Roman Navy to dominate the seas, have remainedlargely unstudied.
Drawing upon archaeological evidence, documentary accounts and visual representations, the book charts the development and evolution of the Roman warship over eight centuries of naval activity, showing howships were evolved to meet the circumstances of the different areas in which they had to operate, the different functions they needed to fulfil, and the changing nature of their enemies.
ALSO AVAILABLE: Navies of Rome, by Michael Pitassi
Introduction
Sources
Interpreting the Sources
Ship Fittings
The Earliest Types; 8th to 4th Centuries BC
Naval Ascendancy - 3rd and 2nd Centuries BC
Civil Wars and Imperial Fleets, 1st Centuries BC and AD
Height of Empire, 2nd and 3rd Centuries AD
The Late Empire, 4th and 5th Centuries AD
Terminus
Appendix 1: Service Lives of Ship Types
Appendix 2: Types of Roman Warships
Appendix 3: Gazetteer. Where to see Roman Boats and Ships
Appendix 4: Glossary of Nautical Terms Used
Bibliography
"Extremely valuable as a guide to approaching the reconstruction of part of the past." INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MARITIME HISTORY
"It is always gratifying to read a text that is well written, unambiguous, and easy to follow, with meticulous, accurate, and up-to-date scholarship and bibliography. Pitassi has produced an admirable work on the Roman warship. [...] This book is recommended for the students of ancient warfare, maritime history, and Roman culture." DEREMILITARI.ORG

Paperback

9781783274147

May 2019

Buy

$36.95 / £24.99

Shipping Options

Buy Fewer than 20 copies available

Buy

Purchasing options are not available in this country.

Ebook (EPDF)

9781846159428

April 2011

Buy

£19.99 / $24.95

Title Details

228 Pages

2.4 x 1.72 cm

40 colour. 81 b/w. 29 line.

Imprint: Boydell Press