The Age of the Dromōn: The Byzantine Navy Ca 500-1204This volume examines the development and evolution of the war galley known as the Dromon, and its relative, the Chelandion, from first appearance in the sixth century until its supercession in the twelfth century by the Galea developed in the Latin West. Beginning as a small, fully-decked, monoreme galley, by the tenth century the Dromon had become a bireme, the pre-eminent war galley of the Mediterranean. The salient features of these ships were their two-banked oarage system, the spurs at their bows which replaced the ram of classical antiquity, their lateen sails, and their primary weapon: Greek Fire. The book contextualizes the technical characteristics of the ships within the operational history of Byzantine fleets, logistical problems of medieval naval warfare, and strategic objectives. Surviving Byzantine sources, especially tactical manuals, are subjected to close literary and philological analysis. |
Contents
Preface and appreciations | xi |
Note on orthography translation citation and dating | xix |
Selective glossary of Greek Latin and Arabic terminology | xxxix |
Copyright | |
22 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
The Age of the ΔΡΟΜΩΝ: The Byzantine Navy ca 500-1204 John Pryor,Elizabeth M. Jeffreys Limited preview - 2006 |
The Age of the Dromōn: The Byzantine Navy Ca. 500-1204 John H. Pryor,Elizabeth Jeffreys No preview available - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
Abū Aghlabid al-Andalus Anonymous Appendix Five Appendix Four Appendix Three attack battle Biblioteca bireme Byzantine centimetres cerimoniis chelandia Chronographia classical command Constantine VII Constantinople continuatus Crete crews Dain deck dromons emperor enemy ship Fatimid fleet galea galleys Greek Fire Haldon Historia hull Ibn Khaldūn Ifriqiya John Skylitzēs Kitāb Latin Leo VI liburnae manuscript mast medieval metres Muslim naval Nikēphoros Ouranos Nikētas oar-bank oarage system oars oarsmen Onomasticon Bethe Pollux Prokopios Pryor sails Sicily squadron strategos Synopsis historiōn tenth century Theophanes Theophanes the Confessor Theory and practice Thucydides trireme Umayyad word ἂν ἀνὰ ἀπὸ αὐτοὺς αὐτῶν γὰρ δὲ δὲ καὶ διὰ δρόμωνας δρομώνων εἰ ἐκ ἐν ἐπὶ ἵνα καὶ καὶ τὸ κατὰ μὲν μετὰ μὴ οἱ οὐ περὶ πρὸς τὰ τὰς τῇ τῆς τὸ τοῖς τὸν τοῦ τοὺς τῷ τῶν τῶν πολεμίων ὡς