Smith, William: A smaller dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities (London, 1871)

XAVIS. 21)5 NAVIS.

between 'which the oars move, and to which
they are fastened by a thong (TpoTrwnjp),

Aphlastoo, Aplustre,

were upon the rpd^rjf. In all other vessels
the oars passed through holes in the side of
the vessel (6^>0aA/Aoi, TpT^ara, or Tpu7r^/i.aTa).
—4. The middle part of the deck in most
ships of war appears to have been raised

arrangements of the Biremes, Triremes, &c,
is the position of the ranks of rowers, from
which the ships themselves derive their
names. Various opinions have been enter-
tained by those who have written upon this
subject. Thus much is certain, that the
different ranks of rowers, who sat along the
sides of a vessel, were placed one above the
other. In ordinary vessels, from the Moneris
up to the Quinquercmis, each oar was
managed by one man. The rowers sat upon
little benches attached to the ribs of the
vessel, and called eSuiAca, and in Latin fori
and transtra. The lowest row of rowers
was called 0aAd/xos, the rowers themselves,
8a\afiiTo.L or OaAaniot. The uppermost ordo
of rowers was called flpdras, and the rowers
themselves Bpavlrai. The middle ordo or
ordines of rowers were called £vyii, or
(vylrat. Each of this last class of rowers
had likewise his own seat, and did not, as
some have supposed, sit upon benches run-
ning across the vessel. The gear of a vessel
was divided into wooden and hanging gear
(axeVTj i;vkivay and axeiirf KpejuacrTa).

I. wooden Gear.-—1. Oars (xunrai, remi).
The collective term for oars is rappds, which
properly signified only the blade or flat part
of the oar, but was afterwards used as
a collective expression for all the oars, with
the exception of the rudder. The oars varied
in size accordingly as they were used by a
lower or higher ordo of rowers, and from the
name of the ordo by which they were used,

above the bulwark, or at least to a level with I theJ' also received their special names, viz.,
its upper edge, and thus enabled the soldiers K,»™1 Oaka^iai, (vytai, and 0pcunntes. Each
to occupy a position from which they could , Trireme had on an average 170 rowers. In
see far around and hurl their darts against 1 a Roman Quinquereme during the first Tunic
the enemy. Such an elevated deck appears war> the average number of rowers was 300 ;
in the annexed woodcut representing a in later times we even find as many as 400.
Moneris. In this instance the flag is stand- The lower Part of the holes through which
ing upon the hind-deck.—5. One of the most , tne oars Pa*sed appears to have been covered
interesting, as well as important parts in the | ^ith leather {5xrKo>y.a.\ which also extended

a little way outside the hole.—2. The rudder

(mjoaAioi', gubernaculum). Before the inven-
tion of the rudder, vessels must have been
propelled and guided by the oars alone.
This circumstance may account for the form
of the ancient rudder, as well as for the
mode of using it. It was like an oar with a
very broad blade, and was commonly placed
on each side of the stern, not at its extre-
mity. The annexed woodcut presents ex-
amples of its appearance as it is frequently
exhibited on gems, coins, and other works ol
art. The figure in the centre shows a Triton
blowing the buccina, and holding a rudder
over bis shoulder. The left-hand figure
represents a rudder with its helm or tiller
crossed by the cornucopia. In the third
Momris (From a Pointing at Pompeii.) figure Venus leans with her left arm upon a