The Roman Navy

[Praefectusclassis]

No & no.

[D B Campbell]

The slab was found directly at Mainz/Moguntiacum and is thought to be part of the grave stela of a shipwright.

OK, so maybe yes, maybe no.

Other theory - could it be artillery with covers to protect it from the weather / sea spray :?:

Not sure if there's any sign of a cover, is there? We're just lacking the bow-arms (which might be a good thing if the "catapults" are inswingers) and the slider (which Alexander thought he could discern with the eye of faith). The main problem is the peculiar shape of the torsion springs, which seem to be triangular, tapering from top to bottom.

[D B Campbell]

AFAIK the relief with the two artillery pieces (?) on a ship was discussed in H.C. Konen's thesis about the Classis Germanica.

R. Bockius, "A Roman depiction of a warship equipped with two catapults" in: H. Tzalas (ed.), Tropis VI: 6th international symposium on ship construction in antiquity (Lamia, 1996), pp. 89-97.

If anyone has access to this volume, please send me a copy. Pleeeeeease.

[Flavius Promotus]

Faeces, not here on the library, sorry

Duncan, have you considered contacting the 'Museum fuer Antike Schifffahrt' at Moguntiacum/Mainz? Ronald Bockius works there!

http://www.rgzm.de/Navis/Musea/Mainz/NavismusEngl.htm

[D B Campbell]

R. Bockius, "A Roman depiction of a war ship equipped with two catapults?" in: H. Tzalas (ed.), Tropis VI: 6th international symposium on ship construction in antiquity, Lamia 1996 (Athens, 2001), pp. 89-97.

Having managed to acquire the grail for this particular enigma , I thought I'd report back to RAT.

Ronald Bockius has suggested (and it's no more than a suggestion) that each of the two mystery items ("a tripod carrying a presumably revolving apparatus") might be "a kind of ship artillery". Furthermore, it is possible that, by depicting two items, the sculptor intended to show the same type of machine from the front and from the rear.

Bockius recognises that the tripod-mounted apparatus doesn't really resemble the spring-frame of a catapult, and suggests that the rectangles (one on either side of the tripod) "may have been protection for the torsion mechanism and/or defences (shields) for the service crew".

I am sure he will not object to my posting one of his diagram here. Note that this is a purely speculative attempt to explain the devices on the Mainz relief, but I must admit that Dr Bockius' sketch bears an uncanny resemblance to the relief!

[jc02005]

Google thanks for contributing but you need to add your real name onto your signature.Sorry but it is the Fourm rules.

Many THanks
johnathan

[Jeroen Pelgrom]

Johnathan,

Duncan already has his real name in his account.

[D B Campbell]

thanks for contributing but you need to add your real name onto your signature.Sorry but it is the Fourm rules.

:roll:

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D B Campbell !

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Google :?: