Ancient Mediterranean Naval History

Throughout literature in the field of invasion ecology, there are numerous references to the Romans. In my undergraduate thesis, I examined the link between the Roman Empire and invasive species and how this shaped the world of antiquity. This involved researching ancient transport vectors and pathways for possible introductions, investigating the influence of expansive military activity and increase in habitat disturbance, and overall increase in connectivity associated with the development of the Empire. I was able to discuss specific instances of species introductions as well as species which became problematic as invaders within antiquity, such as the black rat, R. rattus and its relation to human epidemics. My research is applicable to those interested in the history of the Roman Empire, particularly those investigating topics such as the military and agriculture through the alternative lens of ecology and biological impact - in agreement with other researchers I found that the potential impact of environmental forces on the Empire's decline is not to be ignored, and invasive species represent a component of ancient environmental problems. This research may also be of interest to those concerned with invasion ecology and others fields of science and environmental history.

The location of the origin of the trireme has long been debated between academics who firmly place themselves in either a Greek, or Phoenician, origin group. This study aims to discuss the historiography of the last century on this debate by separating the various pieces of literary and archaeological evidence, before discussing the merit that these pieces have to offer to the whole. Collectively, the majority of the archaeological evidence is far from conclusive for the purpose of this study and does not grant any credence to either argument. This is due mostly to improper representation of the architectural aspects through mostly abstract portrayals. The written primary sources (chiefly: Thucydides, Herodotus, and Clement of Alexandria) are of slightly more usefulness. However, they are often too vague in the few areas that they do not directly contradict each other. With the oldest unambiguous depictions of multiple banks of oars coming from Phoenicia, it has been argued that the triremes originated in Sidon between 701 and 676 BCE. However, the question of origin of the trireme may not be as important as the evolution of the trireme, which has not received as much research. By highlighting the differences between Phoenician, and Greek ships discussed and portrayed in ancient sources (i.e. the ram, its associated wales, deck and hull size, and the absence – or presence – of the paraxeiresia), and the documented evolution of ships after the invention of the trireme (i.e. the addition of the Athenian light sail, the evolution of the Rhodian triemiolia, the Peloponnesian hippagogoi, the samaina, and the polyremes which evolved independently in the fourth century BCE) scholars can begin to fill in the gaps and look to achieve a greater understanding of how the trireme may have originated in Phoenicia, but evolved through innovations in Greece as well.

In ogni tempo, nell'antichità come nella più recente tradizione marinaresca, l'arte della navigazione condensa quel complesso di conoscenze e di capacità specifiche con cui i naviganti guidano il corso della nave. La straordinaria sensibilità di percezione degli elementi naturali, la perfetta conoscenza del comportamento della propria imbarcazione, insomma quello che viene definito a ragione il "senso marino" dei naviganti, costituiscono insieme al sapere pratico, acquisito con l'esperienza, i più importanti istrumenti nautici che l'uomo abbia mai avuto, strumenti che hanno consentito di collegare regolarmente tutte le sponde e le isole del Mediterraneo molti secoli prima che fossero introdotte la bussola magnetica e le carte nautiche.

Stefano Medas

Anno di Edizione: 2004
Edizione: L'ERMA di BRETSCHNEIDER
Collane:
Studia Archaeologica, 132
ISBN: 9788882652784
Rilegatura: Brossura
Pagine: 244
Formato: 17 x 24 cm

The article presents an episode in the history of the ancient city of Joppa (modern-day Tel-Aviv-Yafo) and the Jewish revolt, which took place in Judea between 66 and 74 CE. Despite the city’s destruction at the hands of Roman forces in the autumn of 66 CE, the area was retaken by the Jews in the summer of the following year. Its new inhabitants improvised a fleet to launch sea raids into neighbouring areas. The Roman response to these raids was a penal expedition against the city. It was not the might of the Roman army that put an end to the Jewish fleet, however, but a wind known as the Black Boreas. Joppa itself was again razed by the Romans, who placed a garrison there to prevent the
area from falling into the hands of Jewish insurgents.

Pirates in the Mediterranean had a long history of readily accepting military service.  Mithridates of Pontus hired pirates from Cilicia and Crete to swell the ranks of his navy, a navy that managed to halt Roman forces from crossing to Anatolia on several occasions.  Likewise, the Macedonians hired Illyrian pirates and the Seleucids and Ptolemies hired Cretans.  In several cases, however, the Romans engaged in short campaigns in Illyria, Crete, or Cilicia before embarking on a war with the larger powers of the Mediterranean.  Whether intentional or not, this pre-emptively limited the mercenary manpower the Hellenistic kingdoms were accustomed to call upon, giving Roman commanders a military advantage. First, this paper examines Roman legislation that may hinder mercenaries (e.g. a ban on trading precious metal to the Gauls (Zonaras 8.19)) and treaties that forbid mercenary service or mercenary hiring, most famously, the Peace of Apamea. Through limiting supplies of mercenaries or coinage, Rome attempted to peacefully gain such a military advantage.  Secondly, my paper examines Roman campaigns against these sources for mercenary manpower immediately prior to or during major campaigns against other foes.  These campaigns were frequently publicly justified by the piracy (or alleged piracy) of the group in question, rather than the mercenary activity.  Admittedly, unemployed mercenaries might readily turn to piracy (such as the Greek mercenaries of Persia in the aftermath of Alexander’s campaign (Diodorus 17.111, cf. Trundle 2004, de Souza 1999 inter alia). In any case, these small campaigns against the ‘pirate-lands’ of the Mediterranean also limited the supply of pirate mercenaries, to Rome’s advantage.  While I do not suggest this was the result of overarching Roman plotting, I do suggest this trend was no accident, but a recognition by the Romans of the impact of these mercenaries and an attempt to compensate.

Experts in different fields connected with ancient Egypt in most cases in their research use the material that is present: artifacts, iconographic scenes and terminology guidelines which may occur in different contexts on archaeological grounds. Rarely, attention is directed to what is absent, nonexistent among the findings, although by attempting to interpret the "absence"  in some cases we may reveal  as much as from the material that is present, and in the worst case, we can provide a new angle that helps us to test knowledge. The distortion of perception of researchers is especially pronounced in situations when it comes to in some way marginalized groups - such as women. In order to understand  characteristics of Egyptian art in the context of critical approach tendencies Egyptology and related disciplines, in this paper we will try to give initial consideration to the subject of the lack of women - a warrior in the very specific context - the context of the naval armed conflict. Women are poorly represented at all in the context of war, but on the basis of a few exceptions may suggest that the image that we have may be incomplete. In order to illustrate the point one concrete example of "absence" of women in very male subject  is taken is as a point of reference for a review of the opportunities offered antithetical perspectives in interpreting the past. The paper referred to the testimony on war expeditions and battles, trying to emphasize their decisive influence on the Egyptian everyday life, economy and identity. The apparent absence of women is explained as a result of the Egyptian system of values ​​placed in the rules of decorum, but also as a result of a specific point of view of modern scholars.