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Homer describes the army that attacked Troy in terms of the ships that they arrived in. The warriors from Boetia came 120 to a ship. The archer Philoctetes led a group of seven ships with 50 warriors each.
Homer describes the arrival of one of the ships as follows: "When they had come inside the harbour they furled the sails and laid them in the ship's hold; they slackened the forestays, lowered the mast into its place, and rowed the ship to the place where they would have her lie; there they cast out their mooring-stones and made fast the hawsers."
The return trip is as follows: "...but when the sun went down, and it came on dark, they laid themselves down to sleep by the stern cables of the ship, and when the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared they again set sail for the host of the Achaeans. Apollo sent them a fair wind, so they raised their mast and hoisted their white sails aloft. As the sail bellied with the wind the ship flew through the deep blue water, and the foam hissed against her bows as she sped onward. When they reached the wide-stretching host of the Achaeans, they drew the vessel ashore, high and dry upon the sands, set her strong props beneath her, and went their ways to their own tents and ships." (Book I of the Iliad)
Some indication of trade is also given in Homer (Book VII): "Many ships had come with wine from Lemnos, sent by Euneus the son of Jason, born to him by Hypsipyle. The son of Jason freighted them with ten thousand measures of wine, which he sent specially to the sons of Atreus, Agamemnon and Menelaus. From this supply the Achaeans bought their wine, some with bronze, some with iron, some with hides, some with whole heifers, and some again with captives."
Paul Cartledge in his book "Sparta and Lakonia" discusses land transportation in Lakonia. It should be noted that land transportation was considerably more important to the Spartans than the other Greeks because of the nature of their political control. He gives a number of references to cite how difficult it was to get into Lakonia from the outside. But "...it was of paramount importance to the Spartans to be able to communicate both within Lakonia and with Messenia. The importance can be gauged from the fact that it was the responsibility of the kings, presumably qua generals, to 'give judgement in all matters concerning public highways'" (pp.187)
On page 189 Cartledge indicates that "ancient wheel-ruts have been detected between Goritsa and Geraki" in Lakonia. On page 208 he states "...because this was the easiest way out of Laconia for an army traveling with waggons."
Rodney Castleden, in his book "Mycenaens" refers to the litter or palanquin as a form of transportation in Mycenaean times. (pp. 34) He says the Minoan use of litters inspired the Mycenaeans. The advantage of the litter is that no more than a path is required and in many cases in Greece that is all there was. The litter is essentially a frame on two poles so that two persons can carry a third person.
Rodney Castleden, in his book "Minoans, Life in the Bronze Age" describes the "Palanquin Fresco" as showing a dignified female clothed in a white robe being conveyed through a crowd at some public festival. He also reports "a terracotta model of a palanquin with a seated female in ritual context..." found at the Minoan Labyrinth. (pp.177)
Trade: Man carrying an Amphora.html. Donkey with a load: CClick here.
UP TO INDEXThe carts had heavy carrying capacity as the following indicate: "And here perhaps the reader will pardon the record of a somewhat ingenious device on the part of the city engineer, who, aware of the enemy's intention to advance his batteries along the racecourse, which slopes from the Lyceum, had all the carts and waggons which were to be found laden with blocks of stone, each one a cartload in itself, and so sent them to deposit their freights "pele-mele" on the course in question. The annoyance created by these separate blocks of stone was enormous, and quite out of proportion to the simplicity of the contrivance." Xenephon "Hellenica" Book 4.
Xenephon mentions a number of roads along which armies proceed but there is little indication that they are even suitable for carts.
A small cart is pictured on ancient pottery at: ancient cart. This cart is pictured with a spoked wheel but ones with solid wheels were no doubt also available.
The difference between a cart and a chariot is subtle. Both are two wheeled conveyences. The chariot was light and buit for speed. The cart would have been heavy and strong.
Paul Cartledge "Sparta and Lakonia" states that "Theophrastos ('Hist. Plant.' 3.16.3) mentions a type of oak used for carts in Lakonia." (pp. 187)
Ancient illustrations of ships:
Hypermnestra inspects an ancient sailing ship being built by her father Danaus
It has been suggested that the first ships of Egypt were reed boats. In ancient China ships were modeled after swimming ducks and were even made to look like them. In northern Europe the first ships were modeled after skin boats. But none of these environments provided the motive for building ships that the Aegean did. In that sea were inviting crystal clear waters and green islands that could be seen from shore. Oared ships were described in many stories of ancient times. These seem to have been modeled after the dugout canoe. But a sailing ship was also developed along different lines. Danaus is given in one myth as the first to sail such a ship as he seemed to feel his daughters were unfit for oars. But the sailing ship seems to have been based on the first ships made of lumber boards. Early on these ships were literally sewn together while the later ships were mortised and tenoned. Joining wood edge to edge is quite old as the following passage suggests:
in the Odyssey, Book V, Homer describes how to build a ship: "So soon as early Dawn shone forth, the rosy-fingered, anon Odysseus put on him a mantle and doublet, and the nymph clad her in a great shining robe, light of woof and gracious, and about her waist she cast a fair golden girdle, and a veil withal upon her head. Then she considered of the sending of Odysseus, the great-hearted. She gave him a great axe, fitted to his grasp, an axe of bronze double-edged, and with a goodly handle of olive wood fastened well. Next she gave him a polished adze, and she led the way to the border of the isle where tall trees grew, alder and poplar, and pine that reacheth unto heaven, seasoned long since and sere, that might lightly float for him. Now after she had shown him where the tall trees grew, Calypso, the fair goddess, departed homeward. And he set to cutting timber, and his work went busily. Twenty trees in all he felled, and then trimmed them with the axe of bronze, and deftly smoothed them, and over them made straight the line. Meanwhile Calypso, the fair goddess, brought him augers, so he bored each piece and jointed them together, and then made all fast with trenails and dowels. Wide as is the floor of a broad ship of burden, which some man well skilled in carpentry may trace him out, of such beam did Odysseus fashion his broad raft. And thereat he wrought, and set up the deckings, fitting them to the close-set uprights, and finished them off with long gunwales, and there he set a mast, and a yard-arm fitted thereto, and moreover he made him a rudder to guide the craft. And he fenced it with wattled osier withies from stem to stern, to be a bulwark against the wave, and piled up wood to back them. Meanwhile Calypso, the fair goddess, brought him web of cloth to make him sails; and these too he fashioned very skilfully. And he made fast therein braces and halyards and sheets, and at last he pushed the raft with levers down to the fair salt sea.
A major innovations in transportation was the trireme ship. The trireme enabled the Greeks to become the naval power of the world and make the Mediterranean safe for their shipping. Pentekonters were 50-oared galleys with one row of oars. Biremes had two banks of oars on each side. Triremes had three banks of oars.
Sailing ships are rarely mentioned in ancient Greek literature but Archaeological finds of ships are commonly sailing ships. During the heroic period and later there were basically two kinds of ships: oared galleys and round ships with sails. The galleys were long and narrow while the round ships were much broader. It is interesting that the galley gunwale is straight while the round ship has a gunwale that is high at the bow and the stern and slops downward to the beam of the ship. This suggests that the galley is based on the dugout canoe while the round boat is based on a boat constructed of planks. Dugout canoes are very unstable to sail while flat side of the planks facilitate sailing. That a galley has sails at all is a testement to the efficiency of sails. Galleys can only be rowed for a short time and the rowers must then rest. This is OK for war but terrible for long-distance trade. There are ancient Pictures showing sailing ships being rowed, but this must have been a desperate act. Usually wars involved galleys. This also seems a preference of Swords over bows and arrows. The main strategy seems to have been maneauvering a boat to force its ram (or beak) into the opponent and then boarding over the front. The forecastle on the galley provided the advantage of height to the attacking ship. Round ship never were fitted with rams but galleys always were.
Most navigation was in terms of landmarks on shore. But when the ship was out of sight of land the stars were used. Some crossings hand to be by night for this reason. There are a number of references in the literature to helmsmen who stood at the helm while other slept. This raises the issue of sleeping accomodations and helmsman visibility. Some illustrations show a tent like structure covering the center of the ship. Perhaps this structure contained sleeping accomodations? Would the captain have a tent cabin. And finally, would the helmsman have to be raised above all this to have good visibility. At least at night he would have to see the talking post, as the ancient Greeks called it, the bow post that would indicate the direction of the ship. Notice that in the ancient ships both the bow and stern posts are prominent.
I am currently constructing a model of an ancient sailing ship. I am using plank construction as was done in ancient Greece and sewing the planks together. Bending the planks results in a shape that conforms to the ancient pictures but to get a rounded hull the planks must be tapered. The ratio of width to length is 1/3 and this bends the planks in an extreme way. But you get a hull bottom that should sail well. The model is large but the scale is large so the actual ship would only be 16'and a beam of a little over 5'. This seems small but is quite consistent with the images on pots. I am thinking you might get 6-8 passengers and crew on such a ship. In those days it might not take that many amphora to make a trip of such a ship worth while.
My uncle Charles used to puzzle over why amphora were used so much in the shape they had. The hold of the ship would be layed with brush and the point of the amphora would be set in the brush. This would provide support for the cargo so it would not shift. But there is another possible. Sailing ships were convenient because they had spars overhead. They could be used with a block and tackle to easily lift heavy loads from the dock to the hold. I am thinking that the amphora could be picked up easily by a rope around the point. I will have to experiment with this when the model is that far along.
Resources:
Two-horse chariot
Two-horse chariot
Question: goddess transportation
Answer: Goddesses have chariots to carry them through the sky.
Question: how did the ancient greeks get transported.
Answer: Most transportation was walking. People who needed to travel long distances need to live near a port where a sailing ship was available to take them to distant ports. Some people had chariots. Others had donkey carts. Later horses were ridden with a saddle.
Question: Where would the people of ancient Greece travel to?
Answer: Land travel was very difficult and people who had to travel this way did not travel far. The ships of ancient Greece were quite sea worthy and could have taken the ancient Greeks anywhere in the world on the sea. But There is no evidence that they traveled far. For the most part they traveled in their own Aegean Sea, but sometimes they ventured out into the Mediteranean. They might have sailed to Britain for tin but their is some controversy about this. The passengers were not inclined to long trips over the open sea and preferred to pull up on a beach at night. Most trips were within sight of land.
Question: About what time did the people of Ancient Greece ride horses with saddles?
Answer: I find no saddles among the ancient Greek works of art. I believe the mosaic of Alexander the Great shows him with a sadle.
Question: Did the Ancinet Greeks have roads? If so, when were they created?
Answer: Yes the Ancient Greeks had roads but they were not important for transporation between cities. Almost all transportation was on the sea and any roads merely lead to the nearest seaport. What follows is a picture of the Lechaion Road. A paved road from port of Lechaion as it approaches the city center of Corinth. Click here. But most likely this road was built by the Romans and not by the Greeks.
Question: Jow do Greeks get around
Answer: The ancient Greeks traveled mostly by water in sailing and rowed vessels. On land they walked or rode chariots. Goods were carried on two-wheeled carts.
Question: I was wondering if you have any information or know where I can find any information regarding hospitality among travelers in Ancient Greece?
Answer: The Argonautica by Appolonius of Rhodes is about an ancient Travel. Herodotus is a famous traveler. Xenophon writes about Traveling in the Anabasis. Telemachus travels to Sparta in the Odyssey.
Question: How did ancient Greeks travel on land?
Answer: The ancient Greeks either walked, marched, or rode in a chariot. When they carried a lot of stuff with them they used a cart. An example of a cart follows: Click here. Carts could be much larger than that pictured with higher sides. Carts could be hauled by an ox, horse, mule, donkey, or dog, or a tem of any of these.
Question: What means did ancient Greeks use for transportation?
Answer: The vast majority of ancient Greek transportation was in sailing ships.
Question: hat did the Ancient Greeks live in? (shelter)
Answer: Click on the menu derectory below then click on architecture.
Question: what simalarities and differences where there in transportation then in greece and here now?
Answer: People still walk, and they use two-wheeled carts too. When you go to the airport you see a lot of people walking and moving their luggage on carts. In ancient Greece people travel almost entirely by water using sailing ships. They walked or rode chariots or carts to the port where they got on a sailing ship. Today we have more options. We still have ships but be also have buses, trains, and planes. We also drive and do not walk that much.
Question: What is your name?
Answer: Frederick John Kluth of Kent, Ohio.
Question: How was travel different for a rich greek than a poor greek?
Answer: A poor Greek could only travel where a rich Greek wanted him to go.
Question: how did a rich greek travel
Answer: Usually travel was done in groups for safety.
Question: what are vessels
Answer: Any kind of boat or ship used for water travel is considered a vessel.
Question: what kind of boats are there in ancient greece
Answer: Merchant vessels were essentially sailing vessels. Merchant galleys were rowed when speedy delivery was required. Warships were galleys that were primarily rowed but did carry sails. The galleys were rowed with oars. Pentekonters were 50-oared galleys with one row of oars. Biremes had two banks of oars on each side. Triremes had three banks of oars.
Question: what was the olympias used for
Answer: Olympia was a place in ancient Greece where the Olympics were held. The Olympics were a religious festival for Zeus involving athletic competitions.
Question: what was the main source of travel?
Answer: Sailing ships were the life blood of ancient Greece.
Question: Did the Romans attend the Olympics in Greece?
Answer: not during the Greek period. But they did during the Roman period.
Question: what did they ride in or on
Answer:
Question: How would I have gotten from Smyrna, Ionia to Athens
Answer: You would have booked passage on a sailing ship.
Question: How did kings travel?
Answer: Locally they might use a sedan chair. They used a chariot when they traveled with their army on land. On the sea they used an oared galley.
Question: where did the trveler that went to athens stayed?
Answer: You stayed at a private home as a guest or paying customer. Many businesses such as this worked out of private homes. Eating establishments operated the same way. Houses of prostitution operated this way as well. A blacksmith or a farmer might do the same, but they would also visit a market to sell their wares.
Question: tell me more for a feature i am writing about ancient greek transportation with speficis about ships, chariots, and carts or horse drawn carriages
Answer: Horses were not used to draw carriages in ancient Greece.
Question: running
Answer: There were professional runners in ancient Greece. For a fee they would deliver a message as fast as possible.
Question: did the ancient greeks go on long journeys
Answer: A few did. There ships were quite adequate and could sail a long distance. The main problem was that they were not adapted to staying on the open sea. They had to put into shore often to restock provisions and seek protection from the weather. But they could travel a long distance along the shore. Neither the Odyssesy or the Argonautica were that long. But Greek ships might have sailed to Brittain. They might even have circumnavigated Africa. Less likely is a voyage to China, though foot travelers might have gotten that far.
Question: How did the ancient greek men travel if by land?
Answer:
Question: why are boats and ships so important
Answer: Travel on the water was convenient and efficient. Other forms of transportation were poorly developed.
Question: Transport of slaves
Answer: Most slaves were transported by ship.
Question: What kind of stuff did the ancient Greeks trade?
Answer: The ancient Greeks were great traders, especially on the sea. They traded mainly wine, olives, olive oil and ceramics. They also traded some minerals especially silver. For these they received timber, metals, wheat, cotton, silk, and crafts.
Question: pictures of transportation in ancient greece
Answer: Here are some pictures of sedan chairs:
Question: how did slaves travel?
Answer: Slaves rarely traveled. Sometimes they were trasported, usually by ship. Sometimes slavers marched slaves in chains. If they transported them naked they might not escape so easily.
Question: what were dangers which warn the tourist of some dangers they might encounter
Answer: Fortunately there were some famous travelers who left reports:
Question: where can i find alot about tansportation in acient geece
Answer: Casson, Lionel, "Travel in the Ancient World", The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1994, ISBN 0-8018-4808-3.
Question: ancient greece dancing (dancing)
Answer: All we really know is that it was very important, especially at festivals, but though we know the names of some of the dances, we really know very little about them. Some of the pictures of ancient dances seem to resemble modern dances. The following images show Theseus on Crete with the other children dancing the Crane dance to celebrate his victory. Prow of ship Ship of Theseus Children dancing on shore Right hand of dancing
Question: How did the women travel in ancient greece?
Answer: Women traveled very little. When they traveled they usually went by boat. On a long sea journey the boat would sail during the day and then pull ashore or into a safe harbor at night. The travelers would sleep in an inn if it was available, or they would sleep on the beach. During the day travelers would stay on the deck. The hold was reserved for goods. During inclement weather the ship would find a safe harbor and weather the storm.
Question: What did people use to pay for travel in Ancient Greece?
Answer: Many of the Greek cities minted coins for this purpose. They might also pay a quantity of silver ofr gold. Some merchants also accepted barter, such as a quantity of grain or an animal.
Question: How many people fit in a chariot?
Answer: Normally two, but more can squeeze in.
Question: how did the greeks travel from city to city?
Answer: The ancient Greeks traveled normally by ship. The roads between the cities were not in good condition and could be difficult in bad weather. But messengers commonly moved between the cities by running.
Question: How long would it take to sail from Thera to Cyrene
Answer: As the crow flies Cyrene (now Shahhat, Libya) is only 330 miles southwest of Thera (Santorini). If a storm came up you could be blown there in two days and two nights. But ancient sailors did not sail over the open sea and preferred to hug the coast, stopping and spending the night in an inn or on the beach. The coastal route is about 1400 miles. By this means you might make only 50 - 100 miles a day. The safe trip might take 20 days.
Question: I am doing an assignment for a class and I have to have a map of greece that relates to the time of the goddesses in greece. I need a map of greece and a map of Mt. Olympus. Do you have any suggestions.
Answer:Map of ancient greece with Mt Olympus.
Photo of Mt. Olympus from space.
Question: how did Greece's geography affect their development?
Answer: Greece has a pleasant climate with green isles set in an azure sea. These islands stimulated boatbuilding and exploration. This stimulated trade and commerce with other nations and an exchange of information. The rocky nature and poor soils favored the gorwth of olives and grapes which could be easily preserved. The resulting products, olives and wines were easy exports as was wool that sheep produced on the rocky soil. The trade and commerce stimulated manufactured goods such as woven cloth and pottery. Finally minerals such as silver were discoved in the rocky soil which greatly enriched the inhabitants of Greece.
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