Olympias (trireme)

Olympias is a reconstruction of an ancient Athenian trireme and an important example of experimental archaeology. It is also a commissioned ship in the Greek navy, the only commissioned vessel of its kind in any of the world's navies.

She was constructed from 1985 to 1987 by a shipbuilder in Piraeus. The ship was built to drawings by the naval architect John F. Coates which he developed through long discussions with the historian J. S. Morrison following the longest correspondence on any subject in The Times of London in the early 1980s. The work was also advised by the classics teacher Charles Willink and drew on evidence gained from Greek literature, history of art and archaeology above and below water. Finance came from the Hellenic Navy and donors such as Frank Welsh (a Suffolk banker, writer and trireme enthusiast). Morrison, Coates and Willink founded the Trireme Trust with Welsh. The Trireme Trust is now chaired by Professor Boris Rankov, Professor of Classics at Royal Holloway University of London.

The bronze bow ram weighed 200 kg. The ship was built from Oregon pine and Virginia oak. The keel is of iroko.

The important hypozomata (bracing ropes) had to be replaced by a steel rope as neither natural fibre ropes nor synthetic fibre ropes with about the same elastic modulus as hemp could be obtained. The steel hypozomata tension varied as the hull bent on waves, rather than exerting a substantially constant tension like a natural fibre rope. This caused the alarming possibility of the rope breaking and endangering the crew, so protective measures had to be fitted.

She was subject to sea trials in 1987, 1990, 1992 and 1994, but one of the most informative was an exercise in 1987 when crewed by 170 volunteer oarsmen and oarswomen. Olympias achieved a speed of 9 knots (17 km/h) and was able to execute 180 degree turns within one minute, in an arc no wider than two and a half (2.5) ship-lengths. These results, achieved with an inexperienced crew, suggest that the ancient writers were not exaggerating about the capabilities of such vessels.

Olympias was transported to Britain in 1993, to take part in events celebrating the 2,500 years since the beginning of democracy. In 2004 Olympias was used to transport the Olympic Flame ceremonially from the port of Keratsini to the main port of Piraeus, as the Olympic Torch Relay entered its final stages in the run-up to the 2004 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. She is now an exhibit in a dry dock in Faliron, Athens, Greece.

A trireme of the classical period would have had a crew of 200, including five officers. This would be made up of:


 * trierarchos ( " ") — the commanding officer, responsible for supporting the ship
 * kybernetes (κυβερνήτης: κυβερνάω "steer") — executive officer, responsible for the cruising safety
 * keleustes (κελευστής: κελεύω "command") — responsible for the training and morale of the crew
 * pentecontarchos ( " ") — administration officer
 * prorates (πρῳράτης: πρῷρα "prow") — bow officer, responsible for keeping a sharp lookout
 * 1 auletes (αὐλητής: αὐλός "flute") — a musician supplying the oar timing with his flute
 * 170 oarsmen in three banks
 * 62 thranites (θρᾱνῖται, singular θρᾱνίτης: θρᾶνος "bench") — the upper bank
 * 54 zygites (ζυγῖται, singular ζυγίτης: ζυγόν "yoke", "rowing-bench") — the middle bank
 * 54 thalamites (θαλαμῖται, singular θαλαμίτης: θάλαμος "inner chamber") — lower bank
 * 10 sailors for handling the sails
 * 14 Marines (10 spearsmen, 4 archers)