Tower Hexareme, Evocati Cohort

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.

After a Roman legionary had finished up to 25 years in the army, he could be asked back to join the evocati, the ranks of 'those who are called'. Usually affiliated to their old commander or re-enlisting at the bequest of a particular Consul in times of need, veterans were afforded great respect and honour because of their previous service. As examples to the common soldier, they were often immediately promoted to centurion and given a pay rise. Crucially, veterans were exempt from the mundane and laborious tasks of legionary life such as digging latrines, building roads or making camp. During the civil war all sides called on old soldiers to swell their ranks and provide much needed experience, Pompey persuading a large number of evocati to join him against Julius Caesar by promising them promotion and more money to return. The veteran 'Praetorians of the Evocati Augusti' were held in especially high regard.