Carthaginian Empire - 17 - The Galley - David Bowman

2,969 words.
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There is an important secret to the way the Carthaginians build their galleys. Each is identical to all of the others. They are built to a standard design and each piece is marked. You can take one apart and use it as a set of templates to build more. One unlucky Carthaginian captain is forced aground by the Romans and he and his crew and his galley are captured. Rome uses his galley to build a fleet of 225 identical ships in less than 45 days and use this to challenge Carthaginian naval supremacy. But will Roman skill and ingenuity be enough against the experienced crews of the oaken galleys they face. Its 217BC and Rome takes what it believes is its chance.