Roman Navy: The Roman Military in the Imperial Period: Classical Civilization: GCSE (9:1)

Naval bases

Forum Iulii, Misenum, Ravenna

Praefectus

Commander of the navy

Navarchs

Commander of squadrons

Trierarchs

Commander of a ship

Trireme

Greek-style ship with 3 rows of rowers

Quadrireme

2 banks of rowers, 2 men to an oar

Quinquereme

3 banks of rowers

Hexareme

Used as flagship

Liburnae

Swift, used for scouting

Corvus

Bridge that attached to other ships

classis

The Latin term for fleet and often how the navy was referred to

Punic Wars

A series of three wars between Rome and Carthage (264-146 B.C.); resulted in the destruction of Carthage and Rome's dominance over the western Mediterranean. The Roman navy was essential for this.

Battle of Actium

Final naval battle between the forces of Octavian and those of Cleopatra and Marc Antony; resulted in final victory for Octavian; 31 BC

Mithridates

Ancient king of Pontus who defeated the Romans by supplying ships to pirates

piracy

the practice of attacking and robbing ships at sea. This was a bog problem in the Mediterranean and was tackled by the Roman navy