Warships (Antiquity): Books - History and Models

Warships of the Ancient World 3000-500 BC (Osprey)

The world's first war machines were ships built two millennia before the dawn of the Classical world. Their influence on the course of history cannot be overstated. A wide variety of galleys and other types of warships were built by successive civilisations, each with their own distinctive appearance, capability and utility.
The earliest of these were the Punt ships and the war galleys of Egypt which defeated the Sea People in the first known naval battle. Following the fall of these civilisations, the Phoenicians built biremes and other vessels, while in Greece the ships described in detail in the 'Trojan' epics established a tradition of warship building culminating in the pentekonters and triaconters.

The warships of the period are abundantly illustrated on pottery and carved seals, and depicted in inscriptions and on bas-reliefs. The subject has been intensively studied for two and a half millennia, culminating in the contemporary works of authoritative scholars such as Morrison, Wallinga, Rodgers and Casson.
This book covers the subject in an accessible way.

Contents: Introduction - Egypt - Minoan Crete - Bronze Age Syria - Phoenicia: The Legacy of Ugarit - Greece - Bibliography.

Ancient Greek Warship 500-322 B.C. (Osprey)

Formidable and sophisticated, triremes were the deadliest battleships of the ancient world and at the height of their success the Athenians were the dominant exponents of their devastating power. Primarily galleys designed to fight under oar power, their main weapon was a bronze-plated ram situated at the prow.

This book offers a complete analysis of the most potent battleship of its time; the weapon by which Athens achieved, maintained and ultimately lost its power and prosperity.

Contents: Introduction - Origins - Design - Construction - Crew - In Action - Ruling the Waves - The Athenian Navy - Olympias - Bibliography - Colour Plate Commentary - Index.

Republican Roman Warships 509-27 BC (Osprey)

The birth of the mighty Roman Navy was anchored in the Romans' extraordinary ability to absorb and perfect the technology of other states and empires.
This is the story of the design, development and operation of the Republican Roman warship in the age of the conquest of the Mediterranean, from the first Roman naval adventure of 394 BC and the Punic Wars, to Pompey's operations against the Cilician Pirates and Caesar's victorious naval campaigns in Armorica, concluding with the consolidation of the Mediterranean Sea as Mare Nostrum with the battle of Actium in 31 BC.

Archaeological photography, including those of exciting new finds, such as the Roman warship rosta (rams) found in the Aegates Islands, accompany lavish artistic reconstructions in illustrating the ships of the first Roman navy.

Contents: Introduction - Chronology - Historical background - The origin of the Roman navy - The evolution of the Roman fleet - The ships (The Aphraktai; The Biremes; The Triremes; The Quadriremes; The Quinquiremes; The Sambuca; The Hemiola; The Liburna; The Oneraria; Structure and construction; Armament and decoration) - Fighting on the sea (Roman naval tactics; Employment in siege war) - Campaigns (The first Punic wars; Pompey and the Cilician Pirates; Caesar in Gaul; The naval wars of Octavianus and Agrippa) - Bibliography - Index.

Imperial Roman Warships 27 BC-193 AD (Osprey)

The Roman Empire was not only built by the strength of the legions but also by a navy that was the most powerful maritime force ever to have existed. It was the presence of this fleet that secured the trade routes and maintained the communications within the huge Empire.

The superior design of their warships, coupled with skilled naval commanders such as Agrippa, Sextus Pompeius and Pontus Euxinus, gave the Roman Empire a formidable navy that could defend the coasts of the three continents under the rule of the Caesars.

Featuring archaeological photography and lavish artistic reconstructions, this book reveals the design and development history of Rome's naval force at the height of its Imperial power. As well as examining its warships, it reveals the navy's structure and the tactics that were developed to make the most of Rome's naval design superiority.

Contents: Introduction - Chronology - Historical background - The organization of the Roman Imperial navy - The ships: Biremes, Triremes, Quadriremes, Liburna, Esareme, Deceris, Actuaria, and Oneraria - Fighting on the sea: Roman naval tactics during the Early Empire - Employment in conquest wars - Campaigns - Glossary - Bibliography - Index.

Imperial Roman Warships 193-565 AD (Osprey)

The period of relative peace enjoyed by the Roman Empire in its first two centuries ended with the Marcomannic Wars. The following centuries saw near-constant warfare, which brought new challenges for the Roman Navy.
It was now not just patrolling the Mediterranean but also fighting against invaders with real naval skill such as Genseric and his Vandals.

With research from newly discovered shipwrecks and archaeological finds as well as the rich contemporary source material, this study examines the equipment and tactics used by the navy and the battles they fought in this tumultuous period, which includes the fall of Rome and the resurgence of the Eastern Empire under Justinian the Great.
Using spectacular illustrations, carefully researched ship profiles, and maps, this third volume in Osprey's Roman Warships miniseries charts the ultimate evolution of the Roman fleet in one of the most fascinating periods of its history.