A trière or trirème (in Greek old Τριήρεις / Triếreis ), this last term being name Latin E, is a galère of ancient combat , developed starting from the Pentécontère. Shorter than its predecessor, it is a ship equipped with a sail in which to seat 170 oarsmen staged out of three rows take, from where its name. Leger and nimble, it allows the development of the operation of éperonnage thanks to the rostre of Bronze assembled on his Proue, technique which gives place to the first battles in really naval matter.
The trières appear in Ionie and become the warship again dominating in the Mediterranean of the end of sixth century BC at fourth century BC then, because of their effectiveness, under the Roman Empire until the 4th century.
The first and more famous naval Bataille of the Antiquity using of the trières remains that of Salamine in 480 av. J. - C. which puts at the catches the Greek fleet, mainly Athenian, vis-a-vis the armada much higher Perse numerically. The victory of the Greeks sounds the crushing argument of the the second forwarding achéménide judicious to avenge the affront for Marathon. Other naval battles are reported in detail, in particular that (Bataille of Épipoles) where clash Athéniens and Syracusains in the port of Syracuse in 413 av. J. - C. during the Peloponnesian War.
Origins
The time of appearance of the trières is not very well-known. Thucydide mentions of them the first with Corinthe at eighth century BC where, according to the Greek tradition , the naval Architecte Améinoclès of would have built four worms 704 av. J. - C., intended for the Samiens.
Such a belief of the Greeks is comprehensible by the fact that at that time the Corinthians, benefitting from the advantageous site of their quoted which control the whole of the isthmus connecting the Peloponnese to the remainder of the Greece, extend their commercial domination grace inter alia to their fleet which fights actively against the Pirate laughs. Nevertheless this information relating to Améinoclès is strongly prone to guarantee and one limits oneself today to advance sixth century BC like goes back to appearance of the trière in Greek space, more precisely in Ionie and perhaps introduced by another people.
Development
It is indeed during this century that Samos develops its power on the Aegean Sea and it appears that it is only in 525 av. J. - C. that the trières are really used with the combat, when the Tyran of this city, Polycrate, aligns of them 40 for a forwarding against the Egypt which is reported by Hérodote. The years which follow see in Greece a generalization of the use of this type of ship which relegates the old long vessels of combat to the oubliettes.
In Athens
At the beginning of the O C the Athenian fleet almost is still equipped only with Pentécontère S and Triacontère S, but the war which it leads to this moment against Égine and the danger Perse which remains after the episode of Marathon force him to modernize its ships. The discovery in 483 av. J. - C. with Maronée in the Laurion of an important seam of money will give him the means of them: it is the following year which the Stratège Thémistocle manages to convince its city of this need and which it launches on a little more than two years a vast program in order to renewing the fleet, financed by the metal extracted the mines:
“(...) Thémistocle convainquit Athenians more not to proceed to these distributions and to give with this money two hundred ships to make the war, - it was about the war against Égine. ”
(Hérodote, Investigations , VII, 144)
Thus in 480 av. J. - C. with the battles of Salamine, 150 of the 310 trières aligned by the Greeks are Athenian. But these ships, among the first of this type of the city, are not “not yet decked over all their length which are, they, at the origin of the Byzantine Dromon S .
Construction
No old text gives precise description of the trière, that it is on its dimensions, its technique of manufacture like its forms. Already at the end of the 4th century, that is to say hardly seven decades after their last proven use, a big part of knowledge is lost:
“(...) but there is many years that one forgot the methods of construction of the trière. ”
(Zozime, Roman History , V, 20)
Until the 19th century, the specialists tried to imagine how could be made these boats according to the ancient literary sources, often interpreted. Since the 20th century, the historians study in a rigorous way these same texts and are based on the last archaeological discoveries . Thus, the ceramic painted or the update of Low-relief S, giving always only one incomplete sight, however make it possible to cancel or confirm the models suggested.
Dimensions and forms
Thanks to the update in 1885 by Dragátsis and W. Dörpfeld of covered holds with Zéa, one of the military ports of the Pirée, and with the campaigns of Fouille S which are carried out there since 2000, we have finally a rather precise idea of dimensions of a trière.
Long of approximately 36 m, it has a overall width near to the 5 Mr. the height under roof of the holds being perfectly known (4,026 m), one estimates that of the hull out of water at 2,15 Mr. the Tirant of water is as for him weak, hardly 1 m as the texts attest it which mention hoplites coming from the beach and embarking on the ships with flood:
“(...) the Messénie NS went to the assistance, engaged out of weapons in the sea and, being assembled on board, could, while fighting since the bridges, to take again the buildings that already one was removing. ”
(Thucydide, History of the Peloponnesian War , II, 90,6)
This capacity to be approached very close to the coast is explained by a practically flat bottom, without skittle, which with the advantage of facilitating the setting with the dryness of the boat, this one remaining appreciably right once on the dry land. The round form of the poop, characteristic of the ancient ships, also helps with this operation since the trière is laid out vis-a-vis the sea. Historians think in addition that this raised back would be the consequence of a technical choice in the construction industry: the borderings are rectangular (they are not refined at their ends) and oblige to lay out them of this manner. The method of assembly of these borderings, itself, is not the any certainty object. Specialists calculate that they are joined and maintained between them by a system of Tenon S and Mortaise S, possibly reinforced by ankle S.
On the stem is fixed a rostre Bronze intended for the operations of éperonnage, tactic which spreads with this nimble ship. It is placed on the level of the water line in order to inflict larger damage with the adversary to run it.
The question of the parexérésiai
The parexérésiai are longitudinal parts of Bois which support the oars of the thranites. This term is equivalent to the apostis galères of 18th and 18th centuries. In the absence of literary or iconographic references precise, the historians until were recently satisfied to advance assumptions. It was imagined thus a long time that the trière had the aspect of a pentécontère to which two rows of superimposed oarsmen would simply have been added, the hull being appreciably smooth outside.
By a new comprehensive study of the documents and while helping oneself of the experiment of the modern galères, one is almost certain now that these parexérésiai is returned nearly one meter outside the hull, the benches of stroke of the thranites being located appreciably at the level of lower borderings.
Oars
The question of the position of the parexérésiai is closely related to the oars: if these supports are coupled with the hull, the oars of the row highest must have a higher length in order to penetrate in the water in the same way and not to intersect with those of the lower levels. However the general of the galères of Louis XIV, Jean-Antoine of Barred Warp end, affirms that oars which do not have identical dimensions according to the rows do not make it possible to maintain rate. This need, drawn from the experiment, thus confirms the model adopted today of the parexérésiai largely outside the hull.
Each oar is handled by only one man:
“The idea was that each sailor took his oar, its cushion and its belt (...)”
(Thucydide, History of the Peloponnesian War , II, 93,2)
the cushion having to be used for sitted and the belt to maintain the oar on the level of the apostis. The oars, including 30 additional at end of replacement is embarked, have a length of 4,17 ancient author Mr. Of state in addition that in the center of the ship the sailors of the three rows actuate longer oars, measuring 4,40 Mr.
The direction of the ship, it, is done by the means of a rudder, left oar to the different form which is operated since the back bridge. At least by bad weather, the trière is equipped with two rudders, the second placed towards the prow:
“In sea transports, Chabrias wanting to provide itself against the storms, put in each vessel a double rudder. In time it calms employed only the ordinary one but when the sea became large and agitated, it made plant the other with the prow apart from the oarsmen, so that the tiller of the rudder exceeded the tillac, and of this kind, when the floods raised too the poop, the vessel was controlled with the other end. ”
(Polyen, Stratagems , III, 11,14)
This not excluding to see ships with two systems of direction placed jointly at the rear.
Masts and veils
If it is known that the Roman trirème has two masts, the main thing with the vertical appreciably in the center and a second with before and tilted, the specialists have doubts with regard to the Greek trière.
Two veils
According to the texts of the traditional time, these ships embark two veils: the Grand-voile of square form supported by a Vergue has approximately 22 m of width and 8 m height, the second, the akateion , always remaining on board, is used by heavy weather or for the escape at the time of a battle, especially if the trière is unable to operate with the oar following the damage which was inflicted to him. In preparation for a naval action, the principal Gréement is actually deposited with ground, because too cumbersome in the exiguous boat, so that walk is not dependant on the whims of the wind.
Uncertainties relate to the second Mât which one does not know which position it had on board: vertical in front of the mainmast, tilted as on the Roman trirèmes or replacing the principal mast in its opening at the time of the attacks, J. Leaning Taillardat for this option. If one of the first two assumptions were to be veracious, it is not known more if the sailors used the two veils at the same time.
At all events, the small sail and its mast are forsaken at the time hellenistic since they are not mentioned any more in the inventories of the arsenals, consequence perhaps of the secondary part played by the trières with the profit of units to more important tonnage. They remake their appearance on the Roman trirèmes on which they will be placed at before above the Proue.
Normal navigation
Here also, the doubts remain: we do not have any detail on the means implemented to drive the ship during navigations. To reach the performances announced by Xénophon, of the historians like A. Cartault think that the sail is assisted by the oarsmen, the latter physically not being able to support only the rate/rhythm lasting a whole day and the exclusive use of the veil not making it possible to reach this speed.
Performances
According to estimates based on the assertion of Xénophon, one obtains a speed of 10 node S in navigation, which is materially not possible so only one of the means of propulsion is implemented. According to calculations, one obtains indeed a little more 5 nodes with the whole of the sailors to the oars and approximately 8 nodes with the veil under a fresh breeze (wind of 20 with 28 km/h).
During crossings, the forces of the oarsmen are in addition saved as we indicates it the same author:
“(...) if the breeze were favorable, it put the veils and made put back its men; if it were necessary to use of the oar, it made put back its sailors in turn. ”
(Xénophon, Hellenic the , VI, 2,29)
For the performances of the trière at the time of the engagements, therefore driven by the only force of the arms, one can imagine, within sight of the speed reached by the Olympias in the Années 1980 - 1990, which it must exceed the 10 nodes at the time of the sprint which the éperonnage represents, the rate of the blows of oar increasing during these operations.
Crew
The triérarque one
An Athenian trière is financed by a Citoyen rich, not obligatorily a sailor, member of the class of the pentacosiomédimnes, and named “Triérarque”. It receives its ship of the city and of it is responsible in front of her, must pay possible repairs and balances it of the crew when the city cannot it. It must face the unforeseen expenditure also if necessary. This Liturgie is thus most expensive which is, the triérarque one enjoying consequently a considerable prestige near its fellow-citizens. In spite of that, it would seem that it is not a load envied within sight of the worms that Aristophane puts in the mouth of Eschyle in a passage of the Grenouilles :
“That made that not a rich person does not want to be triérarque,
but wraps itself haillons,
cry and says that it is poor. ”
(Aristophane, Frogs , v. 1065-1066)
After the 5th front century J. - C., the triérarchie becomes too heavy financial expenses for a man and the triérarques ones start to gather in order to arm a ship.
Composition of the crew
During the Peloponnesian War, the Athenian trière carries in her center several classes quite distinct from personnel:
- a staff of which the triérarque one with the head, is composed of a Capitaine ( kybernétès ), real specialist in the maritime businesses on board, is assisted by another Officier ( proreus ), three boatswain (two toikharkhoi under the orders of a kéleustès ) and finally of a player of aulos ( trièraulès ) to mark rate;
- 170 oarsmen;
- 13 others Sailor S being used for the operations (rudder (S), veils, handling of the mast, etc) and which can lend strong hand at the time of the boardings;
- 10 épibates, of the Hoplite S, intended to fight at the time of the boardings, unloadings or being used for protection of the device to damping.
The total thus goes to 200 men for the whole of the crew at this period, which is considerable for a ship. To arm a fleet with 200 trières, one thus needs 40 000 Citizen S: one can take measurement vis-a-vis this figure of the disaster which for Athens the represents battles of Aigos Potamos in 405 before J. - C. with the loss, certainly of 160 ships, but especially of the crews, taken and carried out.
The number of men on board is however not fixed and varies during the years because of the embarked number of épibates.
Épibates
This Marines is thus more numerous in the first years of. when the éperonnage was not essential yet as a standard in the naval action, as for example during the medic Guerres in 494 A.J. - C. at the time of the Bataille of Ladé:
“They people of Tap-holes '' had brought hundred ships which carried each one forty citizens, combatants of elite. ”
(Hérodote, Investigations , VI, 15)
At a few years from there, to Salamine, the Athenian naves carry 14 hoplites and 4 Archer S. With these soldiers can also be assistant combatants carrying Javelot, but the general rule later, even if it can vary, is however 10 épibates and adopted by the whole of Greece:
“Lacédémoniens and their allies sent, the same summer, a fleet of one hundred ships in the island of Zacynthe, opposite Élide. There was on board thousand hoplites lacédémoniens and the Cnémos Spartan, then navarque. ”
(Thucydide, History of the Peloponnesian War , II, 66,1-2)
Resulting like the oarsmen from the class censitaire of the most modest citizens, i.e. the thètes, the épibates do not have to pay their equipment of hoplite which is provided to them by the quoted, contrary to the infantrymen combatant on the only dry land.
Oarsmen
The fitting of the lifeblood within the trière was prone to discussions a long time among specialists, not who seems nevertheless to achieve the unanimity now.
The oarsmen work back with walk, like the modern oarsmen. Their cushion was regarded as an essential component, for their comfort of course, but also for their effectiveness. It was proposed that this cushion was oiled and slipping, comparable with the mobile seats used in modern Aviron.
With highest of the three levels take seat on stools 31 thranites ( thranitai ) on each edge, sitted with 89 cm one of the other. So that their oars do not interfere with those of the lower levels, they are installed in an elevated device exceeding of the hull and largely opened with the wind. At the intermediate row and inside the hull on the beams are located 27 oarsmen, called “zygites” ( zygioi ), slightly shifted compared to their higher neighbors in order to benefit as well as possible from vertical space and who pass their oars by an arrangement of the hull in open-type screen. At the lower level, in the hold, 27 “thalamites” ( thalamioi ), they also shifted for the same reasons, actuate their oars through ports of stroke, the circular openings located at approximately 45 cm of surface.
At the 5th front century J. - C. in Athens, as long as the city could provide labor, i.e. until the second phase of the Peloponnesian War, the oarsmen were all of the free citizens, possibly reinforced by Métèque S and remunerated by a pay equivalent to that of the terrestrial troops, that is to say a drachma per day at the time of the Expédition of Sicily to which was added, for this specific operation, an allowance paid with only the thranites by the triérarques ones. They are thus motivated and trained men who take seat on the benches of stroke to protect the interests from their city, which explains the performances that these ships in term speed can reach, of maintenance of rate, of maneuverability and promptitude in the execution of the orders.
The condition of the oarsmen on board
Within sight of longitudinal spacing enters the men and the height out of the water of the building (approximately 2,15 m), space in which must take seat three levels of oarsmen on their benches, the trière is thus exiguous and particularly uncomfortable during a navigation which can last “a long day”, that is to say approximately 16 hours. Aristophane makes say on this subject by Dionysos, one of its characters:
“Yes, by Apollo! Then Peter with the nose of the thalamites,
embrener comrades of mess tin
( the Frogs , v. 1073-1074); embrener has for strict equivalent, with clean as with illustrated, emmerder in French moderne
When the sea is large, because of the two rows higher talks than all the winds like ports of the thalamites laid out close to surface, the spray which strikes the sides of the ship soak the sailors and penetrate inside where they accumulate in the sentine, bottom of the hold, which weighs down the boat.
To the traditional time, one allots to the Athenian general Chabrias the discovery of the solution to cure these problems:
“Chabrias wanting to put its oarsmen at cover of the floods, pavoisa of skins sides of its galères, with the height of the bridge or the tillac where people of war had habit to be held. In this manner it defended its vessels of the fury of the floods, and preserved the crew to be wet. In addition to that the oarsmen not seeing the waves, because of this species of curtain, were not prone any more to rise fear, and more surely made the operation. ”
(Polyen, Stratagems , III, 11,13)
Employing a mobile system here, the trières can also be equipped with fixed and rigid panels offering a better protection against the enemy spray and features. Those profiting from this device used at least as of the Peloponnesian War are called cataphractes , in opposition to the galères aphractes which are deprived by it.
Social impact
The growing role of the social class of the thètes in the military businesses at the 5th front century J. - C. is not without causing upheavals on the political level of the city, mainly in Athens where these men are the essential instrument of its successes on sea: as it is the case one century earlier with the zeugites which are equipped with their expenses in hoplites, decisive terrestrial units, the thètes see their social role growing.
Tactics
Whereas until sixth century BC, the naval battles limit themselves mainly to an operation of boarding and, once that made, on a combat of embarked infantry being held on one or the other of the ships, the use of the rostre, thanks to the maneuverability of the trière, is essential thereafter. In addition and following the example what is done with the hoplitic phalange with ground, the combat on sea is carried out on line. On the contrary, Athens, as well as possible exploiting the advantages gotten by this boat, develops new tactics by the means of an original provision of the fleet line in columns or at least becomes main in the use of these tactics badly exploited until there.
During the preparation with a combat, the Gréement is deposited with useless ground because with the operation carried out thanks to the only force of the arms. The trière transforms herself then into a frightening ship because its lightness and its oarsmen make it independent of the wind and provide him speed and maneuverability necessary to use the spur in Bronze located at the Proue.
Not scorning to use the boarding when the opportunity arises in order to seize the enemy ship, the éperonnage is however the base of the combat of the trières who makes it possible either to run, or to immobilize the adversary by breaking its oars to him on a side. But this operation is not without dangers since a rostre, after having crushed the side of the enemy and if this one quickly runs, can while remaining hung with the victim to involve the attacker at the bottom. It is thus essential for this last to carry out a rapid step back in order to release itself from the danger, requiring for that a prompt reaction of the crew. To decrease this risk, a device is quickly developed in order to avoid a too major penetration of the spur.
All the naval tactics elaborate at that time rise from the sought-after goal: the éperonnage. One uses then:
- the diekplous (“navigation through”) where one seeks to create a hole in the unfavourable line and to attack then by the back. It is the main tactics at the time of the engagements.
“As for carrying out openings through the enemy line to then return to attack behind the vessels now occupied to fight other adversaries - particularly effective operation in the naval battles -, the Romans were unable to do it because of the heaviness of their ships and the inexperience of their sailors. ”
(Polybe, History , I, 1,51,9)
-
This tactic was already known at least Phocée NS at the end of the 6th century front J. - C. but little practiced because of an original provision of the fleet and a lack of drive of the sailors.
- the kuklos which is a defensive circle, used in the event of numerical inferiority.
“Péloponnésiens formed their units in a circle, as large as they could do it without lending to the openings, with, outside, the prow, and the poop with-inside; the light boats which accompanied them found place inside, like five trières particularly ready to operate; they were thus near to emerge in support of the others where could give the adversaire.
However, the Athenians, arranged on only one file, described around them circles and locked up them in a reduced space, while not ceasing skirting them to more close and while suggesting the impression of an imminent attack. When, however, came time when the wind started to blow, while the ships, from now on enclosed on a reduced space, yielded to the double action wind and light boats, combined to put them in disorder, that they ran up between them then, seizing this exact moment, Phormion gave the signal. ”
(Thucydide, History of the Peloponnesian War , II, 83,5; 84,1-33)
- the continuation is only one quarry in the middle of the fleet disordered, unable to fight and which tries to flee.
- the periplous or envelopment for éperonner enemies on the side or the back.
The success of these operations depends mainly on the quality and the management of the oarsmen, which makes it possible to go more quickly than the adversary, but also to carry out abrupt changes of management and of acceleration for éperonner. There one perceives all the perspicacity of the Stratège S Athenians which knew to develop their fleet, instrument of their power, by employing on board only remunerated free men, pledges of devotion, disciplines and motivation at the time of the engagements. It is only in the second part of the Peloponnesian War, when Athens does not manage any more to support the effort of war and is seen forced to use foreigners, even prisoners of war to arm its ships, that the effectiveness of its fleet falls and cannot face the unfavourable forces any more.
The tragic episode of Sicily, when Nicias makes carry in 414 av. J. - C. to Athens a message of request for help, is revealing state in which the fleet is:
“As for the crews, if they were disorganized and are disorganized still at present, here is the reason: among the sailors, the ones while going to wood, the petty thieving, or to make remote water, are victims of the cavalry; the slaves services appendices '', since our forces balance, pass to the enemy; and, as regards the foreigners, the ones, which had been embarked of force, hardly made, dispersed in the cities; others had been let gray at the beginning by the strong pay and believed rather to have to make deals that to fight: since, against their waiting, for the navy as well as for the remainder, there are resistance of the enemy, these from go away, the ones under pretexts of desertion, the others each one as it can, Sicily is large! Of aucuns even, to be free to make trade, embarked in their place, by gaining the triérarques ones, of the prisoners of Hyccara, and distorted thus completely the naval organization. ”
(Thucydide, History of the Peloponnesian War , VII, 13,2)
And a little further:
“rare the sailors who, after having given the impulse to the ship, maintain the rate of the oars. ”
(Thucydide, History of the Peloponnesian War VII, 14,1)
These passages illustrate the deep disorganization which reigns within the Athenian crews in the last few years of the conflict, increased by serious engineering problems of maintenance in condition of the ships.
Defects of the trière
The trière is not a solid ship indeed and from its qualities also result from the defects, many.
Defects of the structure
Light in order to be fast and nimble, it is n the other hand fragile, especially with the side shocks, which explains also the standardization of the tactic of éperonnage. Prompt with being built, its structure suffers during one duration prolonged in the sea which causes a work of the Bois, deforming borderings and has as a consequence a loss of sealing. Moreover, it is a ship which ages badly and which rots at the end of a few years. To mitigate this defect wood employed to build the trières is Sapin or black Pin, imputrescibles, coming from Macedonia. The flax of the veils itself is imported of Egypt. The manufacturing costs are thus extremely high, the materials used being rare and their importation subjected to multiple risks.
Nicias, left for Sicily with ships in perfect condition, gives us an outline of these effects after one year of countryside in its same message with the Athenians:
“… in our ships since so a long time with the sea, water oozes, and our crews are disorganized. The ships, it is not possible for us to haul them with ground to ventilate them, by the reason that those of the enemy, equal if not superiors of number, unceasingly give us to envisage an exit. ”
(Thucydide, History of the Peloponnesian War , VII, 12,3-4)
For the reasons mentioned above, the trière must thus often be drawn with dryness in order to make dry wood, operation facilitated by her practically flat bottom, but which tires the structure prematurely.
The trière on sea
However, this form of the hull, allied with the lightness of the boat, makes that it holds the sea in the event of storms badly, but those are frequent in the Aegean Sea in August and September and explain the disasters which undergo of the whole fleets taken in the storm. If the flat bottom with weak draft of the ship supports a rapid given to horizontal of this one by small swell, the result is dramatic if the lodging becomes important because the movement of rocker cannot be stopped any more.
When the winds are not favorable, it is to the men that it is appealed to reach the destination: the trière is indeed unable Louvoyer because of the poor effectiveness of sound Gouvernail. Its maritime weaknesses make that it is thus not intended to sail in open sea and generally limits itself to the Cabotage.
Limitations due to exiguity
In addition to the fact that it is necessary to make dry the trière, its dimensions and its discomfort do not make it possible the crew to spend the night there nor to carry important provisions of food and water, which applies another brake at great forwardings without being itself as a preliminary assured the possibilities of slackening in a friendly port each evening. The crossing of the important Athenian fleet at the time of the Forwarding of Sicily in 415 av. J. - C. illustrates measurements taken in order to guarantee safety and safety during these companies:
“They made of them three divisions which they distributed between them with the fate. They wanted by there that during the crossing, one did not miss water, roads, of all the necessary one in the stopovers. After that, they dispatched in front of them as far as Italy and in Sicily three ships, which were to get informed about the cities laid out to accommodate them: order had been given to these ships to return to join them so that one approached only advisedly. ”
(Thucydide, History of the Peloponnesian War , VI, 42,1-2)
Modern rebuildings
Erroneous designs until the 19th century
The ancient authors not having left precise description of the trière, there is yet today no certainty as for the exact shape of this ship. The last discoveries however make it possible to reject certain models suggested in the past.
In the example opposite going back to 1883, one can note several errors resulting from a bad interpretation of the texts or a study too not very thorough of the iconography available (or not still at the time discovered):
- Sitting oarsmen. Only the thranites are installed on stools ( thranos ), the two other rows taking seat on beams;
- Disposition of the oarsmen of highest at low placed interior towards outside, which would oblige to use oars different lengths as shown on the figure;
- Oars different lengths. Barras precise Warp end that this fitting is not viable to maintain the same rate between the rows;
- the parexérésiai of the thranites are laid out along the hull. The preceding points can be explained only with one broad advanced on both sides it bordering to support the oars of the higher row;
- Bridge higher closed completion. The orders cannot be transmitted effectively. For that, the median bridge of circulation, without roof, on the level of sat zygites.
Even at the 20th century one can still see circulating of the erroneous drawings of trière not taking account of all the sources available.
Olympias
In 1985, an association is created to rebuild an Athenian trière, financed by the British banker Frank Welsh. Under the direction of two historians, J. S. Morrison and John F. Coates, which uses the results of the archaeological excavations, a named galère Olympias is launched to the shipyard of the Pirée.
In 1988, the first tests are carried out with 170 voluntary oarsmen: Olympias manages to reach nine nodes, but only on a few tens of Mètre S. Of other tests are carried out until in 1994. The results of the tests seem to confirm the provision with three oars mûs each one by an oarsman, the lack of experience of the crew and his bigger intermediate size (approximately 20 Cm) that of the oarsmen of the time however preventing from reproducing the performances of their ships. In 2004, Olympias transported the Olympic flame at the time of the opening ceremony of the plays.
Sources
Antiques
-
;
- ;
- ( Thémistocle );
- ;
- Polyen, Stratagems ;
- ;
- ;
- Zozime, Roman History .
Contemporary
-
Pierre Ducrey, War and warriors in ancient Greece , Hatchet Literatures, Plural coll, Paris, 1999 (republication).
- Jean Taillardat, “Trière Athenian and the war on sea with 5th and 4th centuries”, 1968, in Jean-Pierre Vernant, Problems of the war in old Greece , editions of the School of the High Studies in Social sciences, coll “Points”, s.l., 1999 (republication).
- J.S. Morrison and R.T. Williams, Greek Oared Ships: 900-322 BC , Cambridge University Near, 1968.
- J.S. Morrison, Naval Greek Tactics in the 5th Century BC , International Newspaper off Nautical Archeology and Underwater Exploration 3 (1): 21-26, 1974.
- Vernon Foley and Werner Soedel, Ancient Oared Warships , Scientific American 244 (4): 116-129, April 1981.
- Fik Meijer, has off History Seafaring in the Classical World , Croom and Helm, 1986.
- J.S. Morrison and John F. Coates, Athenian Trireme: the History and Rebuilding off year Ancient Greek Warship , Cambridge University Near, 1986.
- John F. Coates, The trireme sails again , Scientific American 261 (4): 68-75, April 1989;
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