BEESWAX TO BRONZE

The naval ram, in its three-bladed form, was the predominant weapon of ancient navies used throughout the Mediterranean to break, breach, or destroy enemy warships for almost a thousand years. This type of ram has only been attested archaeologically in the last few decades, and the majority were found far more recently. But how exactly were these complex bronze-cast rams made?

By Stephen DeCasien

The Greek term embolos, referring to a ram, was first mentioned by the Greek poet Hipponax in the mid- to late-sixth century BC (Hipponax, fr. 29). Its use in naval combat was first described by Herodotus at the Battle of Alalia, off Corsica, around 540–535 (Herodotus, 1.166). It is unclear if both Hipponax and Herodotus are referring to the ram in its three-bladed form. Textual, iconographical, and archaeological evidence, however, indicates that the this style of ram became the standard during the Greco-Persian Wars and into the early years of the Peloponnesian War. The last author to directly mention the use of rams was Procopius at the Battle of Sena Gallica in AD 551 (De bello Gothico 8.23.31–39). The complex nature of naval ram construction and the process of casting rams…

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Ancient Warfare (Digital) - 1 Issue, AW XVI.5

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