1001 Space Earth Nature History First Civilisations Ancient Egypt Biblical Times Ancient Greece Ancient Rome Chinese, Japanese Civilisations Indian Civilisation African Civilisation The Early Americas The Rise of Islam The Middle Ages The Renaissance Civil War and Revolution The Industrial Revolution Two World Wars 20th-century Achievements Human World Science and Technology

Were Greek navies very powerful? Much of Greece is surrounded by the sea, so the Greeks have always been shipbuilders and sailors. Wealthy trading cities such as Athens and Corinth built powerful navies to protect their merchant ships. The most important type of warship was the trireme, which was fast and easy to turn. It was a long, narrow ship rowed by 170 sailors sitting in three tiered rows. The main weapon was a ram at the front, which was used to smash holes in enemy ships. The rowers in a trireme sat above each other and had to avoid hitting each other's oars.   Previous: Back Book: 1001 Section: History Chapter: Ancient Greece