The Age of the DROMON: The Byzantine Navy ca 500-1204 (The Medieval Mediterranean)

Авторы книги предлагают свое исследование развития и совершенствования военных кораблей типа галеры, известных как дромон и близкий ему по типу хеландион, от первого появления в шестом столетии до его улучшенного преемника - галеи, развитой и распространенной в двенадцатом столетии на Латинском Западе.This volume examines the development and evolution of the war galley known as the Dromon, and its relative, the Chelandion, from first appearance in the sixth century until its supercession in the twelfth century by the Galea developed in the Latin West. Beginning as a small, fully-decked, monoreme galley, by the tenth century the Dromon had become a bireme, the pre-eminent war galley of the Mediterranean. The salient features of these ships were their two-banked oarage system, the spurs at their bows which replaced the ram of classical antiquity, their lateen sails, and their primary weapon: Greek Fire. The book contextualizes the technical characteristics of the ships within the operational history of Byzantine fleets, logistical problems of medieval naval warfare, and strategic objectives. CONTENTS......Page 10 PREFACE AND APPRECIATIONS......Page 14 LIST OF FIGURES, MAPS, AND TABLES......Page 16 NOTE ON ORTHOGRAPHY, TRANSLATION, CITATION, AND DATING......Page 22 NOTE ON METROLOGY AND HOURS OF DAYLIGHT......Page 26 SELECTIVE GAZETEER OF HISTORICAL PLACE NAMES......Page 28 SELECTIVE GLOSSARY OF GREEK, LATIN, AND ARABIC TERMINOLOGY......Page 42 GLOSSARY OF ENGLISH NAUTICAL TERMINOLOGY......Page 52 NOTE ON CITATION OF GREEK AND LATIN GLOSSARIES......Page 62 ABBREVIATIONS......Page 66 MAPS ......Page 68 INTRODUCTION......Page 82 The first period, ca 400-560: the Germanic assault and imperial recovery......Page 88 The second period, ca 560-750: the Muslim assault and imperial recovery......Page 100 The third period, ca 750-875: equilibrium of chaos......Page 115 The fourth period, ca 875-1025: Byzantine ascendancy......Page 131 The fifth period, ca 1025-1204: the triumph of the Latin West......Page 157 First mentions......Page 204 Deck and oarage system......Page 209 The ram and the spur......Page 215 Square sails and lateen sails......Page 234 CHAPTER THREE FROM THE SIXTH TO NINTH CENTURIES......Page 244 (a) The sources......Page 256 (b) Terminology and Ship Types......Page 269 (c) Hull......Page 273 (d) Prow......Page 284 (e) Poop......Page 296 (f) Deck and Castles......Page 308 (g) Masts, yards, and sails......Page 319 (h) Rigging......Page 333 (i) Crews......Page 335 (j) Oarage system and dimensions......Page 357 (k) Horse transports......Page 385 (l) Performance capabilities, water supplies, and logistics......Page 414 (m) Armaments......Page 459 (n) Tactics, strategy, and techniques......Page 463 CHAPTER FIVE THE DEMISE OF THE DROMON......Page 488 CHAPTER SIX THE TRIUMPH OF THE GALEA......Page 504 CONCLUSION......Page 526 Postscript......Page 534 APPENDIX ONE......Page 536 APPENDIX TWO [b]......Page 564 APPENDIX THREE......Page 602 APPENDIX FOUR......Page 628 APPENDIX FIVE......Page 652 APPENDIX SIX......Page 688 APPENDIX SEVEN......Page 714 APPENDIX EIGHT......Page 726 BIBLIOGRAPHY AND ABBREVIATIONS......Page 748 [a] General Index......Page 792 [b] Technical Index......Page 819 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 832 This volume examines the development and evolution of the war galley known as the Dromon , and its relative, the Chelandion , from first appearance in the sixth century until its supercession in the twelfth century by the Galea developed in the Latin West. Beginning as a small, fully-decked, monoreme galley, by the tenth century the Dromon had become a bireme, the pre-eminent war galley of the Mediterranean. The salient features of these ships were their two-banked oarage system, the spurs at their bows which replaced the ram of classical antiquity, their lateen sails, and their primary weapon: Greek Fire. The book contextualizes the technical characteristics of the ships within the operational history of Byzantine fleets, logistical problems of medieval naval warfare, and strategic objectives. Surviving Byzantine sources, especially tactical manuals, are subjected to close literary and philological analysis "This volume examines the development and evolution of the war galley known as the Dromon, and its relative, the Chelandion, from first appearance in the sixth century until its supercession in the twelfth century by the Galea developed in the Latin West."--Jacket