Trireme
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A trireme (Latin: trirēmis "with three banks of oars"; Ancient Greek: τριήρης triērēs, literally "three-rower") was an ancient seafaring vessel and a type of galley that was used by the ancient maritime civilizations of the Mediterranean, especially the Phoenicians, ancient Greeks, and Romans.[1][2]
History[edit | edit source]
The Korinthians are regarded as the inventors of this ship class.[3]
Triremes played a vital role in the Greco-Persian Wars, as the Achaemenid Empire used the ships to transport their soldiers to the battles of Marathon and Thermopylae.[4] Triremes also formed the basis of the Athenian maritime empire until its downfall during the Peloponnesian War.[5]
In 431 BCE, the misthios Kassandra became the commander of the Adrestia, a light trireme captained by Barnabas.[5]
After the 4th century BCE, triremes were gradually superseded by the larger quadriremes and quinqueremes.[6] Despite this, they continued to see usage until as late as the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt. In the 1st century BCE, Egyptian triremes patrolled the waters of the Mediterranean Sea and Lake Mareotis and were regularly raided by the Medjay Bayek of Siwa for their valuables.[7]
Qualities[edit | edit source]
Triremes were larger than biremes, whereas penteconters were smallest of the three classes. During the Peloponnesian War in the 5th century BCE the triremes were further classified into light and heavy variants, as well as elite versions of these. The heavy triremes had multiple sails and heavier artillery at their disposal than their lighter counterparts.[5]
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
Characters in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey say trireme with Greek pronunciation. This is slightly false, since trireme is an English word, derived from the Latin word trirēmis. The Greek word for trireme is τριήρης (triērēs).
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed: Origins (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
- Assassin's Creed: Nexus VR
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Coates, John F. (2000). The Athenian Trireme. New York: Cambridge University Press. pp. 127–230.
- ↑ Welsh, Frank (1988). Building the Trireme. London: Constable and Company Limited.
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Bounty on a Spartan Ship
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Battle of Thermopylae
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
- ↑
Trireme on Wikipedia
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Origins