Pyrrhus of Epirus Illustration

[Sean Manning]

I note you've disabled comments on your portfolio Johnny - too many backsides??

Pity, I quite like your Battle of Sybota. A difficult thing to capture but you've gone very close (Thuc.1.49):

The fighting was of a somewhat old-fashioned kind, since they were still behindhand in naval matters, both sides having numbers of hoplites aboard their ships, together with archers and javelin throwers. But the fighting was hard enough in spite of the lack of skill shown: indeed it was more like a battle on land than a naval engagement. When the ships came into collision it was difficult for them to break away clear, because of the number engaged and of their close formation. In fact both sides relied more for victory on their hoplites, who were on the decks and who fought a regular pitched battle there while the ships remained motionless.

Thucydides implies that only the Athenian ships employed ramming tactics or anything other than "hoplite" fighting. Greek naval warfare had not progressed one iota from the Persian wars - outside of Athens that is. Something Phormio would so devastatingly demonstrate some six or so years later.

One disagreement there, Paralus. Thucydides implies that both sides tried ramming, but prow-to-prow not in the flanks or against the oars. As ships became stuck or grappled ("it was difficult for them to break away clear") movement probably stopped.

There were four basic tactics for disabling an enemy in ancient naval battle. To wit:

1 ramming head on
2 ramming the flanks or oars of the enemy by clever manoeuvering
3 grappling and boarding
4 (rare) setting your opponent alight with flaming missiles or fire-pots

These were supported by shooting at the enemy marines and deck crew (and the rowers, if the enemy ship wasn't cataphract) but you couldn't defeat an enemy with projectiles alone. In their glory days, I think that the Athenians prefered #2 and their less-experienced enemies #1 and #3.

I can't wait to see the Sybota article and picture, Johnny!