Hellenistic Naval Warfare and Warships 336-30 BC : War at Sea From Alexander to Actium

The Hellenistic period, from Alexander the Great to the Battle of Actium, was a time of great technological change and innovation in naval design. There was a naval arms race between the Successor States that culminated in a plethora of ship types and the largest oared vessels ever built. Michael Pitassi gathers all the available evidence and comparative data to reconstruct the various classes of warship. Each is illustrated with clear diagrams and scale models, with particular attention paid to the arrangement of oars and rowers, the subject of much ongoing debate. He narrates the key naval battles of the period, huge affairs involving hundreds of ships, describing the forces engaged and the tactics employed. Strategic factors such as the location of port facilities, the supply of timber and maritime trade are also considered. HISTORY / Military / Ancient Cover 1 Book Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Maps 8 Illustrations 9 Introduction 13 Chronology 16 Part I Before Alexander – Setting the Scene 22 Chapter 1 Philip II and the Rise of Macedon 24 Chapter 2 The Ships of Philip’s Era 33 Chapter 3 Rams, Towers, Artillery and Tactics 55 Part II Alexander 336 to 30 BC 64 Chapter 4 The Age of Alexander 66 Appendix The Siege of Tyre 332 80 Chapter 5 The Ships of Alexander’s Period 86 Part III The Struggle to Succeed 323 to 301 BC 94 Chapter 6 The Empire Divided 96 Appendix The Battle of Cyprian Salamis 306 113 Chapter 7 Rowing Systems 118 Chapter 8 Bigger Ships 125 Part IV The Age of the Supergalley 310 to 200 BC 142 Chapter 9 Naval Arms Race 144 Appendix Battle of Chios 201 164 Chapter 10 A New Rowing System 169 Chapter 11 The Ultimate Galleys 177 Part V The Power from the West 200 to 100 BC 196 Chapter 12 The Shifting Balance of Power 198 Appendix The Battle of Myonnesus – October 190 217 Chapter 13 The Ships 222 PART VI Twilight of the Hellenistic Navies 100 to 30 BC 234 Chapter 14 Becoming a Roman Lake 236 Chapter 15 The Last Hellenistic Fleets 251 Appendix The Battle of Actium – 2 September 31 263 Chapter 16 The Great Ships and Hellenistic Naval Warfare 270 Appendices 280 Appendix I List of Naval Battles 282 Appendix II Order in Which the Ship Types Appeared 284 Appendix III Suggested Total Rowers Per Rate 285 Appendix IV Index of Characters 286 Appendix V Dynasties 291 Gazeteer 293 Notes 300 Bibliography 314 Index 316 Backcover 322 *Traces the development of ships and naval warfare from Alexander the Great to the Battle of Actium.