[pierrem15]

An important consideration was that the Romans cleared the Med of pirates for a long time, making larger and slower moving vessels profitable. With no cannon, such vessels are sitting ducks for pirates. The largest ships would have been built for specialized trade such as hauling grain or oil and a few for carrying prefabricated columns of immense weight like the Egyptian granite columns used at the Pantheon.

Those were cut as single pieces about 100 miles east of the Nile, transported to the river somehow, floated on barges to Alexandria and then shipped to Ostia, barged again up the Tiber and trundled to the Pantheon. Each column weighs 60 tons.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Thanks. Good info!

I was looking at the Med & Black Sea Roman trade routes and was wondering about pirates.

[PIF]

Ship building was already in decline - the Greek Syracusia is believed to have been 180 feet long. No comparable ship like it was built until the 18th century

[ptsal]

bkmk