Encyclopaedia Britannica > Volume 21, ROT-Siam

SHIP
conteres forty seats of rowers, who all belonwH
complexus, ” though each to a different bant T„ efferf Xn
once the principle of construction had been established in the
trireme, the increase to larger rates was effected, so far as the
motive power was concerned, by lengthening the diaphraSnata
upwards, while the increase in the length of the vessel /ave a
greater number of rowers to each bank. The upper tiers of IL
men exceeded in number those below, as the contraction of tb^
sides of the vessel left less available space towards the bows
,, °{. tt0 length of the oars in the trireme we have an indication in
the fact that the length of supernumerary oars {icepivtw) rowed from
the gangway above the thranites, and therefore probably slthtlv
^2 f inchr^TbTfb111 \ngth’ is in Atlic table!
as 14 teet 6 inches. The thranites were probably about 14 feet
timthflarnffp TiTO?11 t0 m™ement> must have been 1(%
the thalamite 7^ feet long. Comparing modern oars with these
we hnd. that the longest oars used in the British navy are 18 feet’
The university race is rowed with oars 12 feet 9 inches. The pro!
portion of the loom inboard was about one third, but the oars of
t ie rowers amidship must have been somewhat longer inboard
the size of the loom inboard preserved the necessary equilibrium’
Ihe long oars of the larger rates were weighted inboard with lead.
Thus the topmost oars of the tesseraconteres, of which the length
was 53 feet, were exactly balanced at the rowlock °
Let us now consider the construction of the vessel itself. In
the cataphract class the lower deck was 1 foot above the water-
amounfer; the1 hold' which contained a certain
b1all^st’ and through an aperture in this deck the
buckets for baling were worked, entailing a labour which was
constant and severe on board an ancient ship at sea. The keel
(rpoiris) appears to have had considerable camber. Under it was
cnn«rwifalr keel (xeAa^a) very necessary for vessels that were
constantly drawn up on the shore. Above the keel was the kelson
(Spvoxoy), under which the ribs were fastened. These were so
arranged as to give the necessary intervals for the oar-ports above
Above the kelson lay the upper false keel, into which the mast
Thouf TO^n t16 Stfm (<r™rPU r°Se from the keel at an angle of
about 70 to the water. Within was an apron which
was a strong piece of timber curved and fitting to the end of the
keel and beginning of the stern-post and firmly bolted into both
thus giving solidity to the bows, which had to bear the beak and
sustain the shock of ramming. The stem was carried upwards
and curved generally backwards towards the forecastle and rising
above it, and then curving forwards again terminated in an
ornament which was called the acrostolion. The stern-post was
carried up at a similar angle to the bow, and, rising high over the
‘‘TnlustrU’ C7Zld r0U\Rl r,ntf an ornamei)t which was called
oflSuT! WAacrrov). But, inasmuch as the steering was
e y means of two rudders (irySdAia), one on either side
witfi6™! n0 rd t0 ?rr7 out the stern int0 a rudder Post as
with modern ships, and the stern was left therefore much more
PreVLw ge+nn respect 10f-the manoeuvring of the ancient
Swpr “an'of:war> th« weapon being the beak or rostrum, and the
power of turnmg quickly being of the highest importance.
Behind the aplustre,” and curving backwards, was the
cneniscus (xuvutkos), or goose-head, symbolizing the floating
n0onrLl ?/CSS- k ^ the ribs had been set OP and covered
StiewbSp8! f Wlt l piaokmg, the sides of the vessel were further
stien^thened by walmg-pieces carried from stern to stem and
wHh nH^V1011! uhe S*e™-P°st- These were further strengthened
abonftfip ! fialibal^S°I tlmber> tbe lower waling-pieees meeting
S wWb IP fcermeiTel+anipr0l0ngedint0 a sharP three-toothed spur,
of which the middle tooth was the longest. This was covered with
hard metal (generally bronze) and formed the beak. The whole
structure of the beak projected about 10 feet beyond the stern-
wofVn <°Ve lt\bl!t Projecting much less beyond the stern-post,
was tlio proembolion (ttnn^11 Rn \ imA or*
807
ip i Proembolion (irpoepfroXiov), or second beak, in which
the prolongation of the upper set of waling-pieces met. This was
generally fashioned into the figure of a ram’s head, also covered
witii metal; and sometimes again between this and the beak the
second line of waling-pieces met in another metal boss called the
■n-poep.p0\is. these bosses, when a vessel was rammed, completed
the. work of destruction begun by the sharp beak at the water-level,
gmng a racking blow which caused it to heel over and so eased it
on the beak and releasing the latter before the weight of the
sinking vessel could come upon it. At the point where the pro¬
longation ol the second and third waling-pieces began to converge
inwards towards the stem on either side of the vessel stout catheads
(eTrcoTioes) projected, which were of use, not only as supports for
me anchors, but also as a means of inflicting damage on the upper
pait ol an enemy’s vessel, while protecting the side gangways of
its own and the banks of oars that worked under them. The
catheads were strengthened by strong balks of timber, which were
nrmly bolted to them under either extremity and both within and
without, amd ran to the ship’s side. Above the curvature of the
upper waling-pieces. into the irpoep.[i6\iov were the cheeks of the
vessel, generally painted red, and in the upper part of these the
Se^cibte^forlL^Zp11118 tonour bawse ^les, through which ran
was of about ^ ^ °^the VesseL This projection
about 3 feel fiv tho ; 24 1”cbes» which gave a space, increased to
form sunports7^! °f the Prolongation of the ribs to
vessel MTiihJr,* deck> fo1; a passage on either side of the
afford'nrotecfimi tL of " aS P anked along its outer side so as to
its whole Wh wHhC •men fnd marines’ who could Pa^ along
s wnoie length without impeding the rowers. Here in action
co,,!^1^™ P°Stcd as hght-armed troops, and when needed
The ribs6 prolonged8°arS ^eP'lvev) mentioned above,
ane nos, prolonged upwards upon an inward curve sunnorted on
a s„“fXXs,it bers tv„
mes oi the vessel together and carried the deck In the catanbraef
vessels a? a° Wr"fevT °f ^ thwarts (^ya) which in the mrliei
and formed^lso^hencln^f ^0|^!d togetber the sides of the vessel,
f 77 i f *;, .so henches for the rowers to sit on. from which the
oarsnmn In tilc T™6 bfving been the uppermost tier of
them in the hold o^f?16 ’ wb^e those who sat behind and below
(from llA I1 T th+C, Vesf1 werc called daXapircu or Oaxdpo.Kz,
na-mod ,In the trireme the additional upper tier was
,n - lomtlie elevatcdbench {Qpdvos) on which they were placed
011 the deck were stationed the marines Ed
m nSimen im ief'y arrnoub few in number in the Attic trireme
ramminff^Llf78’ bUt ma+py 111 ^ Iiomal) quinquereme, when the
f 7ere antiquated, and wherever, as in the great
themaritime^lf0]1-'? SyraC^ land tactics took the pl^f
TPpE skill which gave victory to the ram in the open sea
this fore EE ^ th® rowers was, termed beyond
rowers ^ ^ the Trapeleipeo-iaf, or parts outside the
stern ’ IntPcfE 11 the bows and 14 feet in the
rn. In the fore part was the forecastle, with its raised deck on
decks1 ^ S atl°ned tJ1<3 7rpft,p^s with his men. In the stern ’the
kind ifEv T6 m ftW°°r three gradatmns, upon which was a
/ ,, d deck-house for the captain and a seat for the steerer
fixed iwP* ’ wh° steei'ed hy nieans of ropes attached to the tillers
xed in the upper part of the paddles, which, in later times at
vessel’°sVer Wbeels (T£0X'AM, giving him the power of changing
rose the fls fT6 Wlt l great rapidity. Behind the deck-house
whLwf ?a?f afp> on1 whlch was hoisted the pennant, and from
O e fiP ba!, y fnnaLj wnere Slven in the case of an admiral’s ship.
On either side of the deck ran a balustrade {cancelli), which was
covered for protection during action with felt (cilicium'napap pdao.ru
rpixiva) or canvas (tt. Kevnd). Above was stretched a strong
awning of hide (/rara/BA^a), as a protection against grapplino-
irons and missiles of all kinds. In Roman vessels towers were
earned up fore and aft from which darts could be showered on the
enei?yAdeck i the heavy corvus or hoarding bridge swung sus-
kended. by a chain near the bows ; and the ponderous SeAdus hung
at the ends of the yards ready to fall on a vessel that came near
enough alongside. But these were later inventions and for larger
ships. The Attic trireme was built light for speed and for ramming
purposes. Her dimensions, so far as we can gather them from the
scattered notices of antiquity, were probably approximately as
lollows length of rowing space (tyKwirov) 93 feet; bows 11 feet •
stern 14 feet; total .118. feet; add 10 feet for the beak. The
breadth at the water-line is calculated at 14 feet, and above at the
broadest part 18 feet, exclusive of the gangways; the space between
the diaphragmata mentioned above was 7 feet. The deck was 11
feet above the water-line and the draught about 8 to 9 feet. All
the Attic triremes appear to have been built upon the same model
and their gear was interchangeable. The Athenians had a peculiar
system of girding the ships with long cables (viro^dopa/ra), each
trireme having two or more, which, passing through eyeholes in
front of the stern-post, ran all round the vessel lengthwise immedi¬
ately under the waling-pieces. They were fastened at the stern
and tightened up with levers. These cables, by shrinking as soon
as they were wet, tightened the whole fabric of the vessel, and in
action, in all probability, relieved the hull from part of the shock
of ramming, the strain of which would be sustained by the waling-
pieces convergent in the beaks. These rope-girdles are not to be
confused with the process of undergirding or frapping, such as is
narrated of the vessel in which St Paul was being carried to Italy.
The trireme appears to have had three masts. The mainmast carried
square sails, probably two in number. The foremast and the mizen
carried lateen sails. In action the Greeks did not use sails, and
everything that could be lowered was stowed below. The mainmasts
and larger sails were often left ashore if a conflict was expected.
The crew of the Attic trireme consisted of from 200 to 225 men
in all. Of these 174 were rowers,—54 on the lower bank
(thalamites), 58 on the middle bank (zygites), and 62 on the
upper bank (thranites),—the upper oars being more numerous
because of the contraction of the space available for the lower tiers
near the bow and stern. Besides the rowers were about 10 marines
(iTTiPdrai) and 20 seamen. The officers were the trierarch and next
P