The Greeks at Sea

Greece was a very mountainous country so Greeks often travelled by sea. Their boats were made of wood and they were skilful ship builders. The storms in January and February often caused shipwrecks - most journeys took place in July or August when the sea was calmest. Attacks by pirates were another danger.

Greeks traded with other countries - carrying olive oil and other foodstuffs in flat bottomed amphora so they would be secure on long journeys.
Each ship had a flute player who piped tunes with a regular beat. This helped the oarsmen to pull their oars in time to the music and made the ship travel faster.

Warships were called triremes. They had three rows of oarsmen along each side of the boat. About 170 men usually rowed together so they could travel quickly. The warships had long sharp spikes at the front, called a ram. The oarsmen rowed as fast as they could towards the enemy ship and tried to smash a hole in its side with this ram. The enemy ship would sink, the crew drowned and the cargo would be stolen.

Most Greek ships had a big eye painted on each side of the prow . The sailors believed that these staring eyes would frighten away evil spirits and protect the men until they reached the safety of home. Many victories were won at sea. The Battle of Salamis is one of the most well known