Roman fresco showing trireme

Roman fresco showing the trireme during the naumachia (sea battle). The painting was found in the temple of Isis in Pompeii. It is now located in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

The trireme was the equivalent of the Greek trieres. It had three rows of oars. During the battle, the ships tried to destroy each other with battering rams, or by throwing “corvus” (battle bridges) on the decks of the enemy ships, over which the soldiers boarded.

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Great Roman civil war Wars of second triumvirate Gallic Wars Battle of Drepanum Battle of Ruspina and Thapsus