[Illustration: SKETCHES OF ANCIENT SHIPS.
By RICHARD COOK, R.A., from Montfarreon’s “Antiquities,” showing warships with marines and fighting-platform amidships; the lower sketches show clearly the types of bow and stern.]
Great importance was clearly attached to the quinquiremes, for in such craft envoys, commissioners, or messengers of victory were carried. They fought together with the triremes and quadriremes as the capital ships of the Roman navy, and whilst the State depended on the treaty towns and allies for their lighter craft, yet the all-important quinquiremes were kept under immediate control. The description and arrangement of the different kinds of Greek warships is generally applicable to those of the Romans. On the deck of the galley the troops fought, while below them were the oarsmen. These propugnatores were protected by means of bulwarks (_propugnacula_) as well as by two wooden towers (_turres_), carried on supports which could be taken down from the ship whenever required.
[Illustration: THREE ANCIENT COINS FROM SCHEFFER’S “DE MILITIA NAVALI” ILLUSTRATING TYPES OF RAMS.]
Among the Greeks it was customary to divide ships into _kataphraktoi_ and _aphraktoi_, according as to whether they were decked in or otherwise. The corresponding Latin expressions were _navis tecta_ or _navis aperta_ respectively. The quinquireme, however, was always cataphract; that is to say, the planking did not end at the gunwale, but was continued to the upper deck so as to afford protection to the rowers from missiles. As to the dimensions and tonnage of the quinquireme it is impossible to make any statement, but they were of such a size that, with some difficulty, they could be hauled up on shore at night.
[Illustration: BRONZE FIGUREHEAD OF MINERVA FROM A ROMAN SHIP FOUND IN THE SEA OFF ACTIUM.
(Probably belonging to one of the ships which fought in the battle of Actium, B.C. 31.)]
Augustus realised that a Roman fleet in being was essential to police the seas and keep down piracy so as to ensure the safe passage of Rome’s corn supply from Egypt. The two fleets which he based permanently on Misenum and Ravenna respectively to guard the Western and Eastern seas were of the utmost utility. He even went so far as to connect Ravenna with the Po by means of a canal. Manned with crews and captains who were either slaves or freedmen, the ships were unfortunately allowed to rot and the service to fall into desuetude, and about A.D. 6 piracy was again rampant, so that it required once more to be checked.
