Description
Most of the northern European tribes were not naval powers, but there were still able seafarers to be found amongst them. Shipbuilding techniques were well understood, so while many vessels were small leather-skinned boats for inland and inshore use, bigger sea-going vessels were also made. Shipwrights used heavy planking for hulls, stitched together and then fastened to a wooden skeleton to create sturdy craft able to cope with Atlantic conditions. Julius Caesar was surprised at the quality of the enemy ships when his fleet clashed with the Veneti from modern-day Brittany. The Veneti vessels had flat bottoms to cope with shallows, but were also of heavy oak construction to cope with rough seas. This made them tough opposition for Roman galleys, and capable of shrugging off a ramming attack. Caesar said that the enemy ships "...were constructed of planks a foot in breadth, fastened by iron spikes the thickness of a man's thumb; the anchors were secured fast by iron chains instead of cables”. When the Romans were forced to board, they faced fearsome warriors used to close-quarters fighting at sea.
The Celtic client system meant that a 'freeman' was given opportunities by the tribal hierarchy. He had to serve the noble classes, but he could also earn prestige in his own right. A freeman inevitably became the follower of an aristocrat, working on the land and raising livestock. However he also had the right to bear arms and fight alongside the nobles during times of war. In combat, a Celt could prove his worth, making a reputation for himself. This system caused an appetite for battle amongst the ambitious lower classes. This did not mean that their armies were ill-disciplined or haphazard: their cavalry used 'trimarcisia', where each rider went into battle with a pair of freeman servants, ready to supply fresh mounts or replace a warrior who fell.
