Romans weren\'t good sailors? Why :?

[M. Demetrius]

It isn't required that everybody on a galley be an experienced sailor, anyhow. If there's a good navigator, a responsive few crew to work the steering rudders and trim the sail, and a captain that knows what to do and understands the weather, the oarsmen just need to row as directed.

In combat, strategy would have to be mostly worked out ahead of time, as signalling wasn't quite as refined as ours is today, nor were the vessels as maneuverable.

Many ships were lost in storms, because they just weren't as seaworthy as ships are today. Just a little too much water over the gunwale (I wonder what they called that before guns??) and the ship would not respond, another wave or two and down she goes. Can't batten down the hatches on an open boat.

[Praefectusclassis]

the oarsmen just need to row as directed

Hi David
When did your subscription to AW run out again? :wink:

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Dave that's exactly to what I am refering, as in bad seamanship. from the Admiral. The fleet lost off of Sicily was due to the Admiral, who was really a land General, in charge of the navy, deciding to sail into the weather when advised not to by more experienced, but lesser ranking seamen.

Lost the fleet and the army.

[M. Demetrius]

When did your subscription to AW run out again?

After year one. Let me guess, there's a feature article about sailors?

[Praefectusclassis]

A whole themed issue about triremes in which, I recall, this point is made more than once.

[Sean Manning]

Some Roman authors pointed out that they were not a seafaring nation. This wasn’t necessarily a true statement, by the way, but was indicative of how the Romans viewed themselves. They didn’t define themselves simply, like how the Carthaginians were great sailors or the Greeks were great philosophers.

Good quote!

Its also related to the way upper-class Romans tried to hide (or at least play down- Cato wasn't ashamed to bring his bundle of olives into the Senate House) the role of trade in Roman history. If in the good old days every Roman was a simple peasant farmer or a virtuous, modestly wealthy gentleman, it followed that none of them had anything to do with the sea. It wasn't true, but patriotic legends rarely are.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

A few good books go into this in excellent detail.

[M. Demetrius]

Well, see, there ya go. I had you backing me up all the time, and didn't even know it. Power to the empoverished!