Antiquity-17th century
-
Galley (Mediterranean War Galley)
The oar-powered war galley, low and narrow with a projecting ram or beak, dominated Mediterranean naval warfare for centuries and remained the vessel of choice for Barbary corsairs into the 17th century since it could close on becalmed merchant ships. Reliance on large numbers of oarsmen, often enslaved captives, made the galley both a weapon…