Description
The waterline ram was first mounted on a vessel in around 850BC. Warships and naval tactics were transformed. Ships were no longer platforms for infantry battles on the water; the ship itself became the weapon. Galleys changed as the new reality sank in. Ramming at speed would hole and sink an enemy, therefore slimmer, faster, handier ships were required. More speed on demand obviously required more oars a fast ship with a single row of oars ended up being stupidly, impractically long. The solution, then, was to put in a second set of oars above the first, but slightly offset to allow for rowers' benches. These biremes, a Latin word meaning 'two oars', or dieres, the Greek equivalent, were no longer than previous designs but had twice the number of rowers. They were fast, manoeuvrable, and could carry a fighting contingent. Some nations also gave their bireme crews fire pots; these clay pots filled with oil and pitch were hurled at enemy ships in the entirely reasonable hope of setting them ablaze.
Considered by some modern archaeologists to be the birthplace of civilisation itself, the ancient kingdom of Nubia lay between Egypt and modern-day central Sudan. Although much of the country was inhospitable desert, the tributaries of the Nile that flowed through it had fertile valley basins and it was there that Nubian culture flourished. As well as being a crucial water source, the Nile was the main trade route to Egypt for African ivory, animals, incense and other exotic riches. Living in such close proximity to the great river, the Nubians were excellent sailors, which ensured their nation's wealth through trade. Being Egypt’s neighbour, Nubia also became, at times, its greatest enemy, and the population were often enslaved and used as soldiers. In 750BC Nubians even managed to conquer Egypt, and ruled for one hundred years, such was the deep rivalry that existed between the two. Consisting mainly of mercenaries from its various regions, the armies of Nubia were famed for their aggression and fearlessness on the battlefield. Nubian archers even defeated the Romans, and their spearmen fought both against and alongside Ptolemaic armies. Eventually, the greatest threat to Nubia came not from war, but from the humble camel. Its introduction in the 2nd century AD greatly increased the power of nomadic desert tribes, lessening the importance of the Nile as a trade route. Subsequently, the kingdom went into decline.
