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Riverine warfare
#1
Greetings!

Can anyone point me at any sources talking about Roman riverine warfare?  A search on 'riverine' here does not produce much.  Perhaps more appropriate terms exist.  I am most interested in specifically such warfare in the Germanies and in Gaul, but any examples are of interest.
Associated with that, is anyone here familiar with any research that shows the extent of roman military shipping and the navigability of lesser rivers such as the Nidda and Nidder in the Wetterau?  Were the kastells resuppliable by barges via these tributaries?  I am rereading Dr. Baatz's work "Die Roemer in Hessen" but he doesn't seem to touch on those subjects.

Thanks so much in advance.
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#2
(12-13-2018, 06:56 PM)Brucicus Wrote: Can anyone point me at any sources talking about Roman riverine warfare?

There's not a great deal out there! The best narrative source would probably be Tacitus's account of the fighting on the Rhine during the Batavian revolt of AD69 (Histories 5, 22-23 in particular) - this mentions, in passing, a captured Roman flagship being towed up the Lippe by the enemy. Annals Book 2 has some details of naval supply and transport operations during Germanicus's campaigns in Germania.

There are occasional mentions in later sources of Rhine and Danube operations - plus the pictures on Trajan's column, of course. Panegyrics from the early fourth century mention Roman river fleets in action against the Franks and Alamanni, but give few details. Ammianus Marcellinus describes some trans-river operations in the mid fourth century, although I don't recall any mention of a Rhine fleet at that point.

Passages in the Theodosian Code mention Danube river galleys (lusoriae) being repaired and maintained into the later fourth century. I don't know of any explicit literary references for the Rhine in this era, but the ships found at Mainz and reconstructed in the Mainz Ship Museum date from the 380s-90s. The general pattern was probably in use for several centuries*; these are very shallow-draught vessels, so they could presumably have been used along most of the larger subsidiary rivers as well as the Rhine itself.

*edit - the 1st-2nd century Oberstimm ships look pretty similar.
Nathan Ross
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#3
I wish we knew more of the Roman Naval Fleet in the Rhine, the operations they might have conducted would be fascinating.
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#4
Nathan, thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I've been all over the Museum Fuer Antike Schifffahrt's website - very interesting even though they don't spend much time on historical use/implementation.
Don't you love the 3 consecutive f's in Schifffahrt?
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#5
(12-14-2018, 05:11 PM)Brucicus Wrote: Don't you love the 3 consecutive f's in Schifffahrt?

Ha - yes! It always looks like a typo...

But it's an excellent museum too, and the replica ships are very impressive.

There's also two or three working replica vessels - one of the Oberstimm ship (I think) and a later one: try looking up Römerschiff Victoria or Navis Lusoria Rhenana or Lusoria Regina and you'll find all sorts of interesting stuff!
Nathan Ross
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#6
Molto, molto bene, Nathan!
I remember going to Mainz as a kid (lived in Wiesbaden) and seeing the Drusussauele and other remnants/ruins and getting hooked on history. I plan on returning to Germany next year and this is on my list. I want to check out the museums in Friedberg and some of the smaller towns around the Wetterau. I like your photo that accompanies your post, but don't you have any in color? ;-).
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#7
(12-14-2018, 08:47 PM)Brucicus Wrote: I plan on returning to Germany next year and this is on my list. 

Good plan. Mainz has three great Roman/ancient museums (as I recall), and it's close to many more - Trier, Koln, Xanten.

The Schifffffmuseum had an annying no-photos policy when I visited (in 2015), but I managed to sneak a few anyway before the guards caught me - and I've seen so many other pictures online that were clearly taken by visitors that the policy must be either temporary or only enforced sporadically!


(12-14-2018, 08:47 PM)Brucicus Wrote: I like your photo that accompanies your post, but don't you have any in color? ;-).
 
The profile pic, you mean? It's from a statue of C Caelius Saturninus, alias Dogmatius. Not a very colourful guy! [Image: tongue.png]
Nathan Ross
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#8
If you read German, there's a LOT of info in the 500-ish page academic volume by H.C. Konen, Classis Germanica. Die römische Rheinflotte im 1. - 3. Jahrhundert n.Chr.
Greets!

Jasper Oorthuys
Webmaster & Editor, Ancient Warfare magazine
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#9
(12-28-2018, 04:12 PM)Praefectusclassis Wrote: If you read German, there's a LOT of info in the 500-ish page academic volume by H.C. Konen, Classis Germanica. Die römische Rheinflotte im 1. - 3. Jahrhundert n.Chr.

My German is pretty fluent.  I've had to bone up on German nautical terminology to be able to glean all the info from the Mainz Antikeschifffahrt website, so I have a head start on learning the Fachausdruecke. 

This looks like the right timeframe for my interest area as well, so thanks a lot!!   I bet it's one of those $500 academic books!!
Maybe I'll find a Cliff's Notes version?

Regards,
Bruce
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#10
It's very academic, but not that expensive if I recall correctly. Not sure an abbreviated version exists, but feel free to try. ;-)
Greets!

Jasper Oorthuys
Webmaster & Editor, Ancient Warfare magazine
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#11
(12-29-2018, 12:45 AM)Praefectusclassis Wrote: It's very academic, but not that expensive if I recall correctly. Not sure an abbreviated version exists, but feel free to try. ;-)

Only 51Euros .... but out of print.  I'll keep an eye out for it.  Or should I wait until the movie comes out?

Thanks so much!
Regards,
Brucicus
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#12
Ronald Bockius - Schifffahrt und Schiffbau in der Antike has a chapter on riverine warfare (pp. 64-74).
Stefan (Literary references to the discussed topics are always appreciated.)
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#13
Brick 
(01-05-2019, 01:19 PM)Eleatic Guest Wrote: Ronald Bockius - Schifffahrt und Schiffbau in der Antike has a chapter on riverine warfare (pp. 64-74).

Thank you EG!  I appreciate all the help.  There are so many helpful people here.
Regards, Bruce
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