Fire Pot Dieres, Celtic Tribesmen

Description

The waterline ram was first mounted on a vessel in around 850BC. Warships and naval tactics were transformed. Ships were no longer platforms for infantry battles on the water; the ship itself became the weapon. Galleys changed as the new reality sank in. Ramming at speed would hole and sink an enemy, therefore slimmer, faster, handier ships were required. More speed on demand obviously required more oars a fast ship with a single row of oars ended up being stupidly, impractically long. The solution, then, was to put in a second set of oars above the first, but slightly offset to allow for rowers' benches. These biremes, a Latin word meaning 'two oars', or dieres, the Greek equivalent, were no longer than previous designs but had twice the number of rowers. They were fast, manoeuvrable, and could carry a fighting contingent. Some nations also gave their bireme crews fire pots; these clay pots filled with oil and pitch were hurled at enemy ships in the entirely reasonable hope of setting them ablaze.

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.