In antiquity Piraeus was the principal port of ancient Athens, from which its distinctive trireme ships would sail across the Mediterranean Sea. The city's small archaeological museum currently has a ...

Once the trireme had engaged with the enemy ship, either by ramming it or running along side it, these soldiers would attempt to board the enemy and fight in hand-to-hand combat. Dressed in heavy ...

A trireme needed 170 men to row it - one man to each oar. It was steered by long oars at the stern or back of the ship. Fixed to the front of the trireme was a sharp metal ram. Image caption ...