Here's a few photos of the ram during and after the restoration (made by the Labs of the Trapani’s Soprintendenza) with some shots of the relief inscription and the nike.
Thanks for posting.
This was quite a period for the development of the Roman Naval forces.
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
Correct me if I am wrong, but as far as I know only in the Egadi isles 6 rams has been found:
1 – 15 June 2004 (police confiscation)
2 – 26 June 2008
3 – 18 August 2010
4 - 6 September 2010
5 - May 2011
6 - 24 August 2011
And 1 in Acqualadroni near Messina (Sicily) - September 2008
Speaking on Roman Naval forces, I think it is also useful to remember the bronze wild boar-head “above – ram” found in 1597 in the Genova harbor, today in the Royal Armory of Turin (Piedmont).
Ref. P. Venturoli “Arma virumque cano : le armi preistoriche e classiche dell'Armeria reale di Torino” [Turin] : U. Allemandi, 2002.
Quote:1 – 15 June 2004 (police confiscation)
2 – 26 June 2008
3 – 18 August 2010
4 - 6 September 2010
5 - May 2011
6 - 24 August 2011
1. 2004
2. Catherine D - June 2008
3. Vincenzo T (Punic inscription) - 18 August (discovered) and 6 September (lifted) 2010
4. Claude D (Latin inscription) - May (discovered) and 20 August (lifted) 2011
5. Rachael R - May 2011
6. Cecè P (Latin inscription) - 24 August 2011
7. 17 November 2011 (fishing boat catch): http://it.paperblog.com/sette-rostri-pro...ia-755008/
Quote:A few years ago, only one or two ancient rams were known. How many do we have today?
1. Athlit ram
2. Piraeus ram
3. Bremerhaven ram
4. Fitzwilliam ram (προεμβόλιον?), now named "Belgammel ram" (Museum of Libya, Tripoli)
5. Turin ram (προεμβόλιον?)
6. Canellopoulos ram (προεμβόλιον?)
7. Fragment of a ram from Octavian's Campsite Memorial in Nikopolis (Archaeological museum of Ioannina)
8. Messina (Acqualadroni) ram
9. 7 Egadi Islands rams
Another new ram featuring an inscription was also confiscated recently around Christmas of last year.
Ruben
He had with him the selfsame rifle you see with him now, all mounted in german silver and the name that he\'d give it set with silver wire under the checkpiece in latin: Et In Arcadia Ego. Common enough for a man to name his gun. His is the first and only ever I seen with an inscription from the classics. - Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian
Quote:Were they held onto the prow with over-sized rivets?
I don't know if there is any evidence, but I would think that breakaway wooden pegs would make more sense. If your ram got stuck, you wouldn't want to be dragged down by a sinking ship. Better to lose the ram.
Quote:1. 2004
2. Catherine D - June 2008
3. Vincenzo T (Punic inscription) - 18 August (discovered) and 6 September (lifted) 2010
4. Claude D (Latin inscription) - May (discovered) and 20 August (lifted) 2011
5. Rachael R - May 2011
6. Cecè P (Latin inscription) - 24 August 2011
7. 17 November 2011 (fishing boat catch): http://it.paperblog.com/sette-rostri-pro...ia-755008/
The rams three tier construction has me imagining ancient naval architects conducting dry land tests on simulated ship sides with the ram on a beam swung on ropes from a height to find the most effective ram design for breaking ship hulls while still allowing for easy extraction.