Books on Roman Navy by Michael Pitassi

[Nathan Ross]

he attributes very modern properties to the Roman naval forces.

Oh dear, that is annoying. Not providing accurate notes is bad too. A shame - it looked like he was one of the few historians to attempt anything detailed about late Roman naval affairs. Or is there an alternative (I've seen Casson)?

[Gatorsailor]

I don't know guys. The retired sailor in me tells me that perhaps, after I finish my dad's history, that maybe I should tackle this topic of the Roman Navy. What do you all think?

[Roberto Romani]

I can keep the answer very short: he attributes very modern properties to the Roman naval forces. This in fact something most modern books about ancient naval warfare are guilty of. The problem is that 'we' (ie anyone in the modern western world and especially those of us from traditionally maritime nations such as the UK, US and NL) are so ingrained with these notions it takes a special effort to consciously turn them off.

Since I got into Roman navy stuff only recently, and I'm still not very knowledgeable in naval matters in general, I'm not sure to understand what you mean. Could you make just an example in order to clarify?
Roberto Romani

[Gatorsailor]

Jasper, I think that has always been a problem with western writers, when they don't understand something, explain it with something we do understand. For years we have tried to explain Japanese treatment of POWs during World War II, without taking time to understand Japanese society from 1870 to 1945. hock: Even avter only some seventy years, many still have a hard time understanding. So when you have writers trying to explain Roman naval warfare, something that has little known surviving first hand records, all they can do is try to use familiar terms: Squadrons, divisions, Comodores, Admirals, etc. I think that the more I follow this string, the more I want to research this topic.

[Vindex]

I don't know guys. The retired sailor in me tells me that perhaps, after I finish my dad's history, that maybe I should tackle this topic of the Roman Navy. What do you all think?

Sounds like a good idea to me. People with an in depth knowledge of a very specific subject bring something different to the table than just academic research of the ancient world. (The most notable, recent example being the lady who has turned into a hairdressing "experimental archaeologist" with her Vestal Virgin hair-do!!)

[Praefectusclassis]

Good luck Ralph. I'll finish my PhD thesis first and then I'll feel qualified to review your research! 8)

[Currahee Chris]

I think that the more I follow this string, the more I want to research this topic.

Go for it brother!!

This is a very timely thread for me as I just finished AW's Securing Seas and shores- the fleets of the Roman Empire. BEAUTIFUL artwork on the cover- one of my alltime favorite full color Roman illustrations.

Here is a list (from what I can tell that hasn't already been mentioned) in the AW i just read:

Ph. deSouza Piracy in the Greco Roman world
R. D'Amato "Imperial Roman Naval Forces Oxford 2009
P. MacGeorge "Appendix:Naval power in the late 5th century" in Late Roman Warlords (Oxford 2002)
DH Potter "The Roman Army and Navy" in H.I Flower The Cambridge Companion to the Roman Republic (Cambridge 2004)
DB Saddington "Classes. The evolution of the Roman Imperial Fleets" in P Erdkamps A companion to the Roman Army (London 2007)

BTW- This was from Ancient Warfare Vol 5, Issue 5

best of luck!!
CC

[Gatorsailor]

Thanks Chris and Jasper. I'm starting to put together a bibliography for when I'm ready to start. This is going to be a fun project.

[D B Campbell]

I think that the more I follow this string, the more I want to research this topic.

Do you read Italian?

•Panciera, Silvio, "Liburna (rassegna delle fonti, caratteristiche della nave, accezioni del termine)", Epigraphica 18 (1956) 130-156.
•Panciera, Silvio, "Ligerici (nautae)", Epigrafi, Epigrafia, Epigrafisti. Scritti vari editi e inediti (1956-2005) (Roma: Edizioni Quasar 2006), III.3.
•Panciera, Silvio, "Sulla pretesa esclusione dei cittadini romani dalle flotte italiche nei primi due secoli dell’ impero", Epigrafi, Epigrafia, Epigrafisti. Scritti vari editi e inediti (1956-2005) (Roma: Edizioni Quasar 2006), V.5.
•Panciera, Silvio, "Gli schiavi nelle flotte augustee", Epigrafi, Epigrafia, Epigrafisti. Scritti vari editi e inediti (1956-2005) (Roma: Edizioni Quasar 2006), V.6.
•Panciera, Silvio, "Aquilea, Ravenna e la flotta militare", Epigrafi, Epigrafia, Epigrafisti. Scritti vari editi e inediti (1956-2005) (Roma: Edizioni Quasar 2006), V.11.
•Panciera, Silvio, "La condizione giuridica dei classiarii (e degli equites singulares) in età imperiale. Stato della questione e prospettive di ricerca", Epigrafi, Epigrafia, Epigrafisti. Scritti vari editi e inediti (1956-2005) (Roma: Edizioni Quasar 2006), V.15.
•Panciera, Silvio, "Sulle flotte militare romane", Epigrafi, Epigrafia, Epigrafisti. Scritti vari editi e inediti (1956-2005) (Roma: Edizioni Quasar 2006), VII.5.

[John W Davison]

I don't think anyone has yet mentioned JEH Spaul, "Classes Imperii Romani: an Epigraphic Examination of the Men of the Roman Imperial Navy", (2002):

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780952506218/...506211/plp

(I is probably fair to say that it is more of a research volume than a reading volume!)

The volume from Conway's "History of the Ship" edited by Morrison, "The Age of the Galley", (1995) is still available and has quite a lot of information, as well as being beautifully illustrated - with a contents preview on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Age-Galley-M...51779557#_

There are a few (even more!) specialised titles on things like the corvus boarding bridge or the Athlit ram head which might be worth adding, and various titles relating to Greek naval matters and the trireme Olympias which are probably also relevant to the naval bibliography - depending on the time frame being considered.

Regards,
John