Roman navy

The naval forces maintained by the Roman Republic to protect its interests and wage war at sea, especially during its conflicts with Carthage.

Roman quinquereme: A large ancient warship powered by oarsmen arranged in five groups per vertical bank. Quinqueremes formed the main heavy warships of Rome’s fleets during the Punic Wars.
First Punic War: A war between Rome and Carthage from 264 to 241 BCE, fought chiefly over Sicily. The war forced Rome to build a large fleet to challenge Carthaginian control at sea.
Battle of Actium: A naval battle in 31 BCE in which Octavian defeated the forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Actium shows how control of fleets could decide a Roman struggle for political supremacy.
Battle of the Aegates Islands: A decisive Roman naval victory over Carthage in 241 BCE that ended the First Punic War. Its outcome secured Roman victory in the war and weakened Carthage’s hold on Sicily.
Corvus (boarding device): A hinged boarding bridge with a spike that helped one ship seize another. The device let Roman crews turn naval encounters into close-combat engagements.
Carthaginian navy: The naval forces of Carthage, a major maritime power in the western Mediterranean. Carthage’s established sea power was Rome’s principal naval rival in the Punic Wars.
Roman invasion of Britain: The Roman military campaign that began the conquest of Britain in 43 CE. Roman fleets carried troops and supplies across the Channel to support the invasion.
Roman conquest of Sicily: Rome’s acquisition of Sicily after the First Punic War, making it its first overseas province. Naval victory enabled Rome to hold territory beyond the Italian peninsula.
Roman naval warfare: The tactics and operations used by Roman forces in combat at sea. Its changing tactics reveal how Rome adapted land-fighting strengths to naval battles.
Battle of Mylae: A Roman naval victory over Carthage in 260 BCE during the First Punic War. This early victory demonstrated that Rome could defeat Carthage at sea.

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