Greek Trireme

The three-banked oar warship that dominated the ancient Mediterranean/Historical

The trireme was the dominant warship of the ancient Mediterranean from the 7th to 4th centuries BC, used most famously by Athens at the decisive Battle of Salamis in 480 BC. A trireme had three banks of oars on each side, crewed by 170 rowers, plus about 30 additional crew. The Olympias, a full-scale reconstruction launched in 1987, is 36.8 m long and 5.5 m wide, with a draft of only 1 m. It achieved 8.5 knots under oar power alone. The bronze ram at the prow was the primary weapon, designed to punch through enemy hulls.