04-22-2019, 01:35 PM
Hi Mark, thank you very much for your reply. I appreciate your insights, I understand that the differentiation between navy and merchant ships was in large part due to the merchant owner being cost conscious so sail was more economically attractive, rather than slave rowers. The merchant ship would probably be towing a tender, which would be used as transport from the ship to shore because as far as we know there were no known harbours in this period in Ireland. So I can rule out an official military presence, and perhaps we go with a small, private unit to protect the merchant in case things go wrong. So that also rules out the likelihood of the trader and his band setting up a military-style camp complete with earthen ditch and palisades. More likely he would play down his military presence so as not to inflame tension, provide the king with a few baubles as gifts and get on with his trading.
Well at least I am making some progress on this difficult to research topic, and once again I appreciate you taking the time to respond. Finally, if the Roman trader is meeting the local chieftain for the first time do you know if there was any protocol involved? As I said in my first posting how would the locals know if the Romans came in peace if they had already landed and set up some sort of temporary camp?
Well at least I am making some progress on this difficult to research topic, and once again I appreciate you taking the time to respond. Finally, if the Roman trader is meeting the local chieftain for the first time do you know if there was any protocol involved? As I said in my first posting how would the locals know if the Romans came in peace if they had already landed and set up some sort of temporary camp?
