Persian Assault Teteres, Levy Freemen

Description

There is a good deal of debate as to how large ancient warships worked; the principles are understood, but the details are not always so clear. A Roman 'quadreme' or Greek 'tetreres' would seem to have four rows of oars if the name is translated literally. However, it is unclear how four sets of oars each with one rower apiece could be used without them getting in a terrible tangle even with a magnificently trained crew, or how the top set of rowers would be able to handle the extremely long oars pitched at a steep angle and still produce any power. The chances are that the term 'oar' had become synonymous with 'rower' and that the lowest bank had more than one man per oar. The other option was to go back to a double row of oars, with two men apiece. Two banks of oars would also have made for a cheaper construction task for each ship. Either way, the result was a ship that could rival the lighter trireme in speed, yet had more deck space for a large fighting contingent or artillery pieces.

The Celtic client system meant that a 'freeman' was given opportunities by the tribal hierarchy. He had to serve the noble classes, but he could also earn prestige in his own right. A freeman inevitably became the follower of an aristocrat, working on the land and raising livestock. However he also had the right to bear arms and fight alongside the nobles during times of war. In combat, a Celt could prove his worth, making a reputation for himself. This system caused an appetite for battle amongst the ambitious lower classes. This did not mean that their armies were ill-disciplined or haphazard: their cavalry used 'trimarcisia', where each rider went into battle with a pair of freeman servants, ready to supply fresh mounts or replace a warrior who fell.