Roman Troopships

[Currahee Chris]

In Plutarch's Pompey (11.2.), he has the general sail against Domitius 6 full legions to Libya with 120 long ships (warships) and 800 transports. Although he specifically states that the transports were carrying wheat, missiles, money and war-engines, I think that they would also be the main method of transporting the legions too.

Imagine standing along the shorelines and watching that armada pass by (if it would have been possible to see with the naked eye). Pretty impressive.

Thanks for this thread Nathan. Very timely for me as I am modeling a Roman War scene with a bireme. As a spinoff question to your initial thread question I wonder if anyone has read anything with the Romans using biremes or other craft for ranged weapon support during a conflict. I currently have a Scorpio along with Syrian archers on the bireme providing indirect fire support. Am I somewhat in the ballpark on the historical record here or am I giving Hollywood a good run for their money??

I recall Simon Scarrow writing (historical fiction obviously) in one of his Macro/Cato Eagle books that the legion under the command of Vespasian pulled off a seaborne invasion akin to Normady 1944 (though not as large )