Missile Quinquereme, Auxiliary Rhodian Slingers

Description

The 'five', called a quinquereme in Latin and a penteres in Greek, was a ship first used by the Syracusans against the Carthaginians sometime around 398BC. Like other polyremes, a term meaning many-oared, the chances were that it did not have five banks of oars but that the word 'oar' was used to mean 'rower'. In such a case, the arrangement of rowers would be two-two-one going up from the waterline. It makes sense to keep as much weight as possible low in the vessel to help its stability; a high centre of gravity makes any ship liable to capsize if struck from the side. The quinquereme, then, would be a formidable vessel both in terms of appearance and combat value. With a large fighting contingent aboard and plenty of deck space, this heavy vessel could cope with most enemies and threats.

Perhaps not as famous as their counterparts from the Balearics, Rhodian slingers were nevertheless famed for their skill. As Rhodes was protected by the sea, slingers could hire themselves out as mercenaries across the Mediterranean. They were deadly at 100 metres and could hit targets at 400 metres. Unencumbered by armour, they were highly mobile and could outpace or at least match the pace of most other infantry. Rhodian slingers sometimes made use of small shields with a single handgrip to protect them from any return fire. During the Greco-Persian Wars shaped shot gave the Greeks, including the Rhodians, an advantage over the Persians. This proved essential in covering the retreat of the Ten Thousand, after Cyrus the Younger’s death at the Battle of Cunaxa in 401BC. The Rhodian slingers were the only missile troops able to engage the enemy with some safety, as Cretan archers and Greek javelinmen had the same range as enemy missile troops.