Sailing Nations

[Chance1234]

Hello,

Im just trying to pull together in my own mind who were the kings of the sea. I remember reading something about a tribe in the south of gaul/northen spain who built exceptionally vessels made of oak, but alas cant find a reference to it.

What I am ultimately try to get my head around; whom in theory could of built a Atlantic crossing vessel.

[Praefectusclassis]

Hi Chance,
I think you're thinking of the Veneti who lived on the southern coast of Brittany. See Caesar, Bello Gallico, bk. III (around chapter 10).

[M.H. White]

I read that name in Caesar's commentaries, I think, and it confuses me. I'm always like "what? venetians? in britain???" :lol:

[Dan Diffendale]

I think you're thinking of the Veneti who lived on the southern coast of Brittany. See Caesar, Bello Gallico, bk. III (around chapter 10).

I read that name in Caesar's commentaries, I think, and it confuses me. I'm always like "what? venetians? in britain???"

Brittany is different from Britain -- it's the northwest corner of France that sticks out into the Atlantic. Although, there is at least one person who claims that the Venetians and the Veneti and the Phoenicians are all the same... Alec Tilley in his Seafaring on the Ancient Mediterranean, which I can't help but think is crackpot...

[Chance1234]

were they still going strong by the time of marcus aurellius ?

[Paullus]

By the time of Marcus Aurelius the Veneti had been under Roman rule for nearly 230 years. Doing well under Roman rule, but not so strong in their traditional Celtic ways obviously.

Whether their seafaring capabilities had been lost or not, there are others more suited to answering that.