Harpax Hexareme, Spear Levy

Description

As centuries passed, naval tactics and needs changed across the Mediterranean. There was a move towards larger ships, partly as an expression of national or dynastic power: the Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt were particularly fond of large ships to show their wealth and influence in a physical way. These 'polyremes', a term meaning many oared, were not suitable for ramming work in battle. In practice many of them had no more oars than smaller ships; what they had were more rowers per oar than smaller ships. A Roman hexareme or Greek hexeres would have a couple of banks of oars with three men per oar, and appear to be an over-sized version of a smaller ship. Even so, thanks to being tremendously heavy and strongly constructed, they were slow moving, and hardly capable of the quick turns needed to take advantage of enemy mistakes. Instead the large ships made use of their wide decks and plentiful carrying capacities and became fighting platforms for infantry and artillery. Boarding or long-range bombardment were the methods to be used to defeat the enemy; naval warfare had come full circle in terms of fighting methods, even if ships had grown significantly.

Spearmen were the lifeblood of German tribal forces. Brought up on the traditions of feasting and raiding, they craved the opportunity to prove themselves against a worthy enemy. Having scant regard for the dangers that lay ahead, whipped into frenzy by chant and song, and armed with bone-tipped spears and javelins, the ferocity of their initial attack was both feared and renowned. The 'furor teutonicas', as it was labelled by the Romans, did not resemble the disorganised mass favoured by the Celts. Instead, the Germans attacked in ordered columns or in a wedge formation, known as the 'boarhead'.