11-19-2006, 11:03 AM
Did the Romans (or Greeks or Celts) use a real stern mounted rudder? I know they used quarter rudders routinely, but I have seen also quite a few depictions where the rudder is set up at the stern of the ship. This configuration, however, is normally referred to as a stern mounted oar, not rudder, for whatever reasons.
Now I wonder if there were any rudder configurations in antiquity, where the rudder was fixed in some way to the stern like the medieval pintle and gudgeon rudder, as I have read somewhere that the Propylaen series (volume on history of technology) actually says something to that extent about the boats of the Roman Rhine fleet. This, however, would amount to a real sensation, so I am sceptical. I surfed through navis, but to no avail.
PS: The best work on ancient and medieval rudders so far and that for free:
Lawrence V. Mott, ''The Development of the Rudder, A.D. 100-1600: A Technological Tale'', Thesis May 1991, Texas A&M University: http://nautarch.tamu.edu/pdf-files/Mott-MA1991.pdf
Now I wonder if there were any rudder configurations in antiquity, where the rudder was fixed in some way to the stern like the medieval pintle and gudgeon rudder, as I have read somewhere that the Propylaen series (volume on history of technology) actually says something to that extent about the boats of the Roman Rhine fleet. This, however, would amount to a real sensation, so I am sceptical. I surfed through navis, but to no avail.
PS: The best work on ancient and medieval rudders so far and that for free:
Lawrence V. Mott, ''The Development of the Rudder, A.D. 100-1600: A Technological Tale'', Thesis May 1991, Texas A&M University: http://nautarch.tamu.edu/pdf-files/Mott-MA1991.pdf
Stefan (Literary references to the discussed topics are always appreciated.)
