Trireme

A trireme (Latin: trirēmis "with three banks of oars"; Ancient Greek: τριήρης triērēs, literally "three-rower") was an ancient sea-faring vessel and a type of galley that was used by the ancient maritime civilizations of the Mediterranean, especially the, ancient Greeks and Romans.

Triremes played a vital role in the, the creation of the Athenian maritime empire, and its downfall in the Peloponnesian War. After the 4th century BCE triremes were superseded by the larger and. However triremes were used as late as the Ptolemaic dynasty by Ptolemy's soldiers and Romans alike during the late-1st century BCE.

Etymology
The trireme derives its name from its three rows of oars, manned with one man per oar.