History Memes

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MORE ROWS OF ROWERS (lemmy.world)

submitted 5 months ago by PugJesus@lemmy.world to c/historymemes@lemmy.world

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[–] TWeaK@lemm.ee 10 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

The name “forty” refers not to the number of oars, but to the number of rowers on each vertical “column” of oars that propelled it

What the hell, 40 per column, just how many rowers did it have all together?!

Edit: Wow, 4000! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tessarakonteres However the controversy section is well worth a read hah.

[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Ptolemy Philopator built [a ship] of forty banks of oars, which had a length of two hundred and eighty cubits, and a height, to the top of her stern, of forty-eight; she was manned by four hundred sailors, who did no rowing, and by four thousand rowers, and besides these she had room, on her gangways and decks, for nearly three thousand men-at‑arms. But this ship was merely for show; and since she differed little from a stationary edifice on land, being meant for exhibition and not for use, she was moved only with difficulty and danger.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tessarakonteres

[–] TWeaK@lemm.ee 2 points 5 months ago

Yes I'd just found that! That's insane.

At the end though the Controversy section implies it was probably exaggerated. Even as a show vessel it would have been grossly impractical with the technology at the time. Still, it's so fantastical, I love it!