Strength of Roman fleet

[Jona Lendering]

Yann le Bohec (L' Armée Romaine sous le Haut-Empire) estimates that the two imperial navies at the age of Augustus had about 40,000 sailors. Is this reliable?

In other words: Jasper, what's your opinion?

[Praefectusclassis]

It's based on what, ifs and maybes and probably John the Lydian, De Mens.I.27, who gives 45.562 as the total strength for all fleets put together (and I think Le Bohec also means all squadrons, not just the Italian ones, doesn't he?). The number is too precise to be made up, but exactly what year it goes with is harder to make out. 284? If so, then which squadrons were still in service?
It's also possible to make a reasonable estimate for the size of the Italian fleets in 69 AD which comes to roughly 15,000-20,000 troops for them both. The provincial fleets is mostly guesswork, but ~3,000 apiece is probably reasonable. For the grand total, 30,000-50,000 is very 'ballpark', but probably correct. (For more discussion, see my book )

[Jona Lendering]

That's a reply within eight minutes. As I expected. :wink:

[spyros]

Hi all,
I would like to ask, did the Romans used any Greeks as crew for their ships?

[taira1180]

Maybe the fleet in italy, since they had experienced sailors from magna grecia.

[Praefectusclassis]

Hi Spyros,
It's often hard to recognize exactly where the troops of the fleet came from, unless they mention in specifically. As far as we can discern, Thracians, Dalmatians, Egyptians, people from Asia Minor, etc, were often recruited in the Italian fleets. IIRC people from Achaia are rather rare.

[M.ilionario]

Of what kind of ships was the roman fleet of the Augustian era made of?
Greek triremes? Was it (the fleet) powerful in those days?

[Praefectusclassis]

They had (mostly) liburnes, triremes and quadriremes with a smattering of quinqueremes and a single hexere is attested. Their design was similar to the Classic Athenian trireme, but probably wider in beam.
Powerful...Define powerful!

[M.ilionario]

Powerful...Define powerful!

I mean, was it the most or one of the most powerful navies in the world by that time?

[spyros]

Thank you Taira and Jasper

[taira1180]

Probably ye since they had eliminated all the enemies with big fleets. They would have some troubles with pirates, but no organized enemy.

[Praefectusclassis]

Bingo.