Ancient Naval Warfare

[THE FLY]

I am in the process of constructing a number of 1:600 Galleys.
Did the Romans, Carthaginains and Phoenicians use any particular coloured sails.....are there any records in ancient texts??

[Patrick Waterson]

Ezekiel 27.7 (speaking of Tyre) has:

Of fine embroidered linen from Egypt was your sail,
serving as your ensign;
blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah
was your awning.

The existence of coloured awnings and 'fine embroidered linen' sails 'serving as ensigns' suggests that Phoenician sails carried colours and patterns.  It would be surprising if the Carthaginians ever abandoned this tradition.

Patrick

[THE FLY]

Thanks Patrick.

[Patrick Waterson]

Another snippet, Steve, this time from 41 BC.

Though she received many letters of summons both from Antony himself and from his friends, she so despised and laughed the man to scorn as to sail up the river Cydnus in a barge with gilded poop, its sails spread purple [histion halourgon ekpepetasmenon], its rowers urging it on with silver oars to the sound of the flute blended with pipes and lutes.  She herself reclined beneath a canopy spangled with gold, adorned like Venus in a painting, while boys like Loves in paintings stood on either side and fanned her. Likewise also the fairest of her serving-maidens, attired like Nereids and Graces, were stationed, some at the rudder-sweeps, and others at the reefing-ropes.  (Plutarch, Life of Antony 26)

If Cleopatra can have a purple sail, this suggests to me that coloured sails were a) eminently possible, and b) eminently fashionable as of the 1st century BC.  We can probably safely assume that coloured sails were used at least by Hellenistic kingdoms.  One notes that in Cornelius Nepos' Life of Hannibal XI, Hannibal has to use a trick to find out which ship is his opponent Eumenes' flagship, indicating either that flagships did not carry distinctive sail colours or patterns or, more likely, that sails and masts had already been struck in anticipation of an engagement.

After this exhortation was given to the soldiers, the fleets were brought out for action by both parties. When the line of each was formed, and before the signal was given for battle, Hannibal, in order to show his men where Eumenes was, despatched to him a letter-carrier in a boat with a herald's staff; who, when he reached the enemy's line of vessels, held out a letter, and signified that he was looking for the king; he was therefore immediately taken to Eumenes, because nobody doubted that there was something written in the letter relating to peace. The messenger, having thus made the king's ship known to his party, returned to the same place from which he had come.

Does anyone have any references to coloured sails being used by Romans?

Patrick

[Mark]

For Cleopatra, Pliny the Elder. Natural History book 19 chapter 5

AT WHAT PERIOD LINEN WAS FIRST DYED. Attempts, too, have even been made to dye linen, and to make it assume the frivolous colours of our cloths. This was first done in the fleet of Alexander the Great, while sailing upon the river Indus; for, upon one occasion, during a battle that was being fought, his generals and captains distinguished their vessels by the various tints of their sails, and astounded the people on the shores by giving their many colours to the breeze, as it impelled them on. It was with sails of purple, too, that Cleopatra accompanied M. Antonius to the battle of Actium, and it was by their aid that she took to flight: such being the distinguishing mark of the royal ship.

The last comment would indicate purple sails were not common, although this might be through the lens of Nero's restrictions on the use of the colour. Athenaeus has a reference to Alcibiades hoisting purple sails, but again this is a gesture of self-importance.

Suetonius, Caligula, Chap 37

He built two ships with ten banks of oars, after the Liburnian fashion, the poops of which blazed with jewels, and the sails were of various parti-colours. They were fitted up with ample baths, galleries, and saloons, and supplied with a great variety of vines and other fruit-trees. In these he would sail in the day-time along the coast of Campania, feasting amidst dancing and concerts of music.

Tacitus. Historiae, Book 5 chapter 23

Civilis was seized by a desire to make a naval demonstration. He manned all the biremes that he had, and such vessels as were propelled by a single bank of oars. To these he added a vast number of boats. He put in each three or four hundred men, the usual complement of a Liburnian galley. With these were the captured vessels, in which, picturesquely enough, plaids of various colours were used for sails.

You could try here: http://www.phoenicia.org.uk/index.htm ... they have decided to provide striped sails, it might be worth asking on what basis.

[Mark]

You might want to look at this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Navies-Rome-Michael-Pitassi/dp/1843836009/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329748234&sr=8-1

... if you're not aware of it. It's a history and doesn't include anything which might be used for painting tips, but is a decent summary of background. The basic text is a narrative timeline of Roman naval activity, and then there are "call out" text areas on various subjects of interest (crewing, building etc.). It's nicely done and to the point. He has a companion volume on Roman warships, which I have not seen.

Published by Boydell so a good discount from the publisher to SoA members, if you buy it straight from them.

[THE FLY]

Patrick and Mark,
Very many thanks for your comprehensive replies. I'd have spent hours trying to find this information.
Steve

[Jim Webster]

Then again, as most galley fleets aimed to get the sails and masts down (and ideally ashore) before the battle, you could of course model your galleys in fighting trim with no sails whatsoever 

Jim Webster