The Ancient Sailing Season (Mnemosyne, Supplements / Mnemosyne, Supplements, History and) (Latin and English Edition)

Providing A Comprehensive Examination Of The Capacity Of Ancient Ships And Seafarers To Cope With Seasonally Changing Sea Conditions, This Book Draws On A Wide Range Of Ancient Literary Sources While Also Taking Account Of Modern Weather Records, Hydrological Data, And Recent Archaeological Discoveries. Taking A Fresh Look At The Various Ways In Which Seasonality Affected Maritime Transport Across The Sea-lanes Of The Ancient World, This Book Offers New Perspectives On The Nature Of Seaborne Trade, Naval Warfare And Piratical Operations. The Result Is A Volume That Questions Many Long-held Scholarly Assumptions Concerning The Strength And Seaworthiness Of Ancient Vessels, As Well As The Abilities Of Greek And Roman Mariners, To Regularly Undertake Voyages Across Hazardous Stretches Of Sea--p. [4] Of Cover. Introduction: The State Of Modern Scholarship -- The Textual Evidence -- The Mediterranean Climatic Regime -- Ships And Sails -- Navigation -- The Sailing Season Of The Indian Ocean -- Ancient Pirates And Fishermen -- Conclusion. By James Beresford. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [277]-296) And Index. The Ancient Sailing Season......Page 4 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 10 List of Journal Abbreviations......Page 12 List of Illustrations......Page 14 Introduction. The State of Modern Scholarship......Page 18 1 The Textual Evidence......Page 26 Hesiod’s Sailing Season......Page 27 The Sailing Season of Vegetius......Page 31 Regional Variation in the Ancient Sailing Season......Page 33 Gratian’s Edict......Page 39 Ancient Grain Freighters......Page 49 The Wintertime Voyage of St Paul......Page 53 Ancient Myth and Religion......Page 57 Legislation and Contractual Agreements......Page 61 The Textual Evidence: Conclusion......Page 68 2 The Mediterranean Climatic Regime......Page 70 Mediterranean Meteorology: An Overview......Page 71 Depression Systems......Page 73 Climate Change......Page 75 The Mediterranean Wind Regime......Page 80 Strong and Gale-Force Winds......Page 82 Powerful Summertime Winds......Page 89 Mediterranean Storms......Page 91 Wind Direction......Page 96 The Land and Sea Breeze......Page 102 Wintertime Waves......Page 103 Cloud Cover......Page 107 Precipitation......Page 109 Visibility......Page 112 Darkness and Daylight......Page 114 Tides and Currents......Page 117 Inter-Annual Variability......Page 120 The Mediterranean Climatic Regime: Conclusion......Page 122 3 Ships and Sails......Page 124 Construction Methods......Page 125 The Transition in Shipbuilding Techniques......Page 129 The Romano-Celtic Shipbuilding Tradition......Page 134 Trials of the Kyrenia II......Page 137 The Changing Technology of Hull Construction in Antiquity......Page 139 Size, Strength and Seaworthiness......Page 142 The Effects of Vessel Age and Cargo Weight on Seasonality......Page 147 The Contrasting Seasonality of Warships and Merchantmen......Page 151 Variations in the Seasonal Range of Warships......Page 164 Sails......Page 175 Windward Sailing......Page 180 Fore-and-Aft Rigs on the Ancient Mediterranean......Page 183 Steering Gear......Page 185 Ships and Sails: Conclusion......Page 188 4 Navigation......Page 190 Open Water Navigation......Page 192 Navigation by Reference to Wind and Swell......Page 194 Changing Seasonal Sailing Strategies?......Page 198 Pilotage: The Visible Coastline......Page 200 Environmental Navigation......Page 202 Charts and Periploi......Page 208 Water Depth......Page 211 Shore-Based Navigational Aids......Page 216 Night-Time Sailing......Page 221 Slave Sailors and the Seasonality of Mediterranean Seafaring......Page 226 Navigation: Conclusion......Page 229 5 The Sailing Season of the Indian Ocean......Page 230 Voyages Across the Arabian Sea......Page 235 Winds and Swell During the South-West Monsoon......Page 238 Navigation on the Arabian Sea......Page 246 The Sailing Season of the Indian Ocean: Conclusion......Page 251 6 Ancient Pirates and Fishermen......Page 254 The Seasonal Range of Pirate Vessels......Page 256 The Seasonality of Pirate Tactics......Page 260 Wintertime Activity by Pirates......Page 265 Piracy and the Sailing Calendars of Antiquity......Page 272 The Seasonal Cycles of Fishermen......Page 275 The Seasonal Relationship of Seafaring and Agriculture......Page 279 Conclusion......Page 282 Translated Works......Page 294 Bibliography......Page 295 Illustration Section......Page 314 Index......Page 368 The Ancient Sailing Season 4 Contents 8 Acknowledgements 10 List of Journal Abbreviations 12 List of Illustrations 14 Introduction. The State of Modern Scholarship 18 1 The Textual Evidence 26 Hesiod’s Sailing Season 27 The Sailing Season of Vegetius 31 Regional Variation in the Ancient Sailing Season 33 Gratian’s Edict 39 Ancient Grain Freighters 49 The Wintertime Voyage of St Paul 53 Ancient Myth and Religion 57 Legislation and Contractual Agreements 61 The Textual Evidence: Conclusion 68 2 The Mediterranean Climatic Regime 70 Mediterranean Meteorology: An Overview 71 Depression Systems 73 Climate Change 75 The Mediterranean Wind Regime 80 Strong and Gale-Force Winds 82 Powerful Summertime Winds 89 Mediterranean Storms 91 Wind Direction 96 The Land and Sea Breeze 102 Wintertime Waves 103 Cloud Cover 107 Precipitation 109 Visibility 112 Darkness and Daylight 114 Tides and Currents 117 Inter-Annual Variability 120 The Mediterranean Climatic Regime: Conclusion 122 3 Ships and Sails 124 Construction Methods 125 The Transition in Shipbuilding Techniques 129 The Romano-Celtic Shipbuilding Tradition 134 Trials of the Kyrenia II 137 The Changing Technology of Hull Construction in Antiquity 139 Size, Strength and Seaworthiness 142 The Effects of Vessel Age and Cargo Weight on Seasonality 147 The Contrasting Seasonality of Warships and Merchantmen 151 Variations in the Seasonal Range of Warships 164 Sails 175 Windward Sailing 180 Fore-and-Aft Rigs on the Ancient Mediterranean 183 Steering Gear 185 Ships and Sails: Conclusion 188 4 Navigation 190 Open Water Navigation 192 Navigation by Reference to Wind and Swell 194 Changing Seasonal Sailing Strategies? 198 Pilotage: The Visible Coastline 200 Environmental Navigation 202 Charts and Periploi 208 Water Depth 211 Shore-Based Navigational Aids 216 Night-Time Sailing 221 Slave Sailors and the Seasonality of Mediterranean Seafaring 226 Navigation: Conclusion 229 5 The Sailing Season of the Indian Ocean 230 Voyages Across the Arabian Sea 235 Winds and Swell During the South-West Monsoon 238 Navigation on the Arabian Sea 246 The Sailing Season of the Indian Ocean: Conclusion 251 6 Ancient Pirates and Fishermen 254 The Seasonal Range of Pirate Vessels 256 The Seasonality of Pirate Tactics 260 Wintertime Activity by Pirates 265 Piracy and the Sailing Calendars of Antiquity 272 The Seasonal Cycles of Fishermen 275 The Seasonal Relationship of Seafaring and Agriculture 279 Conclusion 282 Bibliography 294 Translated Works 294 Bibliography 295 Illustration Section 314 Index 368 A comprehensive examination of the effects of the shifting seasons on maritime trade, warfare and piracy during antiquity, this book overturns many long-held assumptions concerning the capabilities of Graeco-Roman ships and sailors