Diekplous! or something thereabouts …

PD Dr. Jorit Wintjes

Lehrstuhl für Alte Geschichte, Universität Würzburg

I. Introduction: Naval Warfare in the Ancient World – quite important…

The Ancients and the Sea.

Large-scale naval warfare did end with Actium, did it not?

Blue – 1st c. AD, Red – 2nd c. AD, Green – 3rd c. AD, Black – 4th c. AD

Some pleasant truths about ancient naval warfare …

1. Ancient naval warfare features prominently throughout ancient history.

Some pleasant truths about ancient naval warfare …

1. Ancient naval warfare features prominently throughout ancient history.

2. The importance of naval warfare is reflected by the available evidence. => literary evidence.=> epigraphic evidence.=> iconographic evidence.=> archaeological evidence.

Some pleasant truths about ancient naval warfare …

1. Ancient naval warfare features prominently throughout ancient history.

2. The importance of naval warfare is reflected by the available evidence. => literary evidence.=> epigraphic evidence.=> iconographic evidence.=> archaeological evidence.

3. Naval warfare is inherently complex – and was already so in antiquity.

Some pleasant truths about ancient naval warfare …

Of known unknowns and unknown unknowns…

Present-day knowledge about ancient land and naval warfare compared

Of known unknowns and unknown unknowns…

100

Present-day knowledge about ancient land and naval warfare compared

sea – land

antiquity

Of known unknowns and unknown unknowns…

100

Present-day knowledge about ancient land and naval warfare compared

30-35

sea – land

antiquity

technology

5-10

Of known unknowns and unknown unknowns…

100

Present-day knowledge about ancient land and naval warfare compared

30-35

sea – land

antiquity

technology

operations

5-100-…

10-15

… and some rather unpleasant truths about ancient naval warfare.

4. Much less knowledge is lost about land warfare than about naval warfare.=> most obvious in weapons & equipment = technology.

… and some rather unpleasant truths about ancient naval warfare.

4. Much less knowledge is lost about land warfare than about naval warfare.=> most obvious in weapons & equipment = technology.

5. The available evidence offers little information on technology and significantly less on operations.

=> no corpus of naval “taktika” extant.

… and some rather unpleasant truths about ancient naval warfare.

4. Much less knowledge is lost about land warfare than about naval warfare.=> most obvious in weapons & equipment = technology.

5. The available evidence offers little information on technology and significantly less on operations.

=> no corpus of naval “taktika” extant.

6. At sea, even more so than on land, it is all about operations.=> a key part of the overall picture is missing!

… and some rather unpleasant truths about ancient naval warfare.

A quick example – the Battle of Cape Ecnomus, 256 BC

Gabriel Jacques de Saint-Aubin, 1863

A quick example – the Battle of Cape Ecnomus, 256 BC

~350 Carthaginian ships vs. ~330 Roman ships

A quick example – the Battle of Cape Ecnomus, 256 BC

~350 Carthaginian ships vs. ~330 Roman ships

A quick example – the Battle of Cape Ecnomus, 256 BC

~350 Carthaginian ships vs. ~330 Roman ships

A quick example – the Battle of Cape Ecnomus, 256 BC

A standard reconstruction of the sequence of events.

A quick example – the Battle of Cape Ecnomus, 256 BC

A standard reconstruction of the sequence of events.

A quick example – the Battle of Cape Ecnomus, 256 BC

A standard reconstruction of the sequence of events.

A quick example – the Battle of Cape Ecnomus, 256 BC

The nasty truth about Quinqueremes: they are big...

A quick example – the Battle of Cape Ecnomus, 256 BC

The nasty truth about Quinqueremes: they are big...

width of the ship: 5m width of the ship including oarsmen: ~ 10m!

A quick example – the Battle of Cape Ecnomus, 256 BC

The nasty truth about Quinqueremes: they are big...

10 ships = 50m; 2 squadrons = 150 ships in this „formation“: 750m – outrigger to outrigger!

width of the ship: 5m width of the ship including oarsmen: ~ 10m!

A quick example – the Battle of Cape Ecnomus, 256 BC

The nasty truth about Quinqueremes: they are big...

10 ships = 50m; 2 squadrons = 150 ships in this „formation“: 750m – outrigger to outrigger!

width of the ship: 5m width of the ship including oarsmen: ~ 10m!

5 ships = 50m; 150 ships in this formation: 1.500m – oars to oars!

A quick example – the Battle of Cape Ecnomus, 256 BC

What, then, happened at Ecnomus?

~150 ships

A quick example – the Battle of Cape Ecnomus, 256 BC

What, then, happened at Ecnomus?

~150 ships

half a ship-length in between ships: ~3.750m

one ship-length in between ships: ~6.000m

II. Simulations – a possible solution?

Simulations are everywhere, and have been for quite some time …

Types of simulations

physical simulations

interactive simulations

Types of simulations

physical simulations

Types of simulations

physical simulations

Environmental change (rivers, coastlines etc.).

Types of simulations

physical simulations

Environmental change (rivers, coastlines etc.).

Testing and validating the reconstruction of ancient architecture, technology etc.

Types of simulations

interactive simulations

Types of simulations

interactive simulations

Influence of human decision-making on sequence of events

Types of simulations

interactive simulations

Influence of human decision-making on sequence of events

General process / systems analysis

Systems analysis is great – but what exactly is the system?

Systems analysis is great – but what exactly is the system?

large group of ships – fleet

Systems analysis is great – but what exactly is the system?

large group of ships – fleet

small group of ships – squadron

Systems analysis is great – but what exactly is the system?

large group of ships – fleet

small group of ships – squadron

Individual ship

A couple of – rather unsettling – statements on simulations

A couple of – rather unsettling – statements on simulations

1. Interactive simulations are a proven method for training in and transmitting knowledge of processes ...

=> … which are known in detail … … which is not the case with ancient naval ops!

A couple of – rather unsettling – statements on simulations

1. Interactive simulations are a proven method for training in and transmitting knowledge of processes ...

=> … which are known in detail … … which is not the case with ancient naval ops!

2. Interactive simulations are a proven method for analyzing systems and processes …

=> where the result does not match expectations ground in knowledge of the nature of the system/process.

There is no such knowledge with ancient naval ops!

A couple of – rather unsettling – statements on simulations

1. Interactive simulations are a proven method for training in and transmitting knowledge of processes ...

=> … which are known in detail … … which is not the case with ancient naval ops!

2. Interactive simulations are a proven method for analyzing systems and processes …

=> where the result does not match expectations ground in knowledge of the nature of the system/process.

There is no such knowledge with ancient naval ops!

3. Interactive Simulations work best if there is only one variable element in a set of otherwise known factors. “known factors” is not a terribly accurate description

of what is known about ancient naval operations…

III. Diekplous! – The project

The known knowns and the known unknowns …

The known knowns and the known unknowns …

Olympias from above

The known knowns and the known unknowns …

Olympias from above

36,9 m

5,5 m 10 m

Available data on ancient naval warfare

Available data on ancient naval warfare

1. Significant amount of performance data from trireme reconstruction Olympias.

=> Allows for a moderately precise reconstruction of tactical capabilities

Olympias is a “floating hypothesis” (B. Rankov)!

Available data on ancient naval warfare

1. Significant amount of performance data from trireme reconstruction Olympias.

=> Allows for a moderately precise reconstruction of tactical capabilities

Olympias is a “floating hypothesis” (B. Rankov)!

2. Data on tactical/operational procedures can also be taken from literary sources.

Often poor level of detail.

Available data on ancient naval warfare

The kyklos – example involving

24 ships

250 m

Available data on ancient naval warfare

1. Significant amount of performance data from trireme reconstruction Olympias.

=> Allows for a moderately precise reconstruction of tactical capabilities

Olympias is a “floating hypothesis” (B. Rankov)!

2. Data on tactical/operational procedures can also be taken from literary sources.

Often poor level of detail.

3. With polyreme warfare being fundamentally similar to trireme warfare, data is to some extent relevant to Hellenistic and later polyremes…

Really?

Main purpose of Diekplous!

Main purpose of Diekplous!

1. Establishing a tactical simulation of a 5th c. trireme allowing to exploit the capabilities and limitations of the type.

Main purpose of Diekplous!

1. Establishing a tactical simulation of a 5th c. trireme allowing to exploit the capabilities and limitations of the type.

2. Putting the individual ship into the context of a multi-ship engagement.

=> dynamics of large-scale unit movement=> C3 – issues

Main purpose of Diekplous!

1. Establishing a tactical simulation of a 5th c. trireme allowing to exploit the capabilities and limitations of the type.

2. Putting the individual ship into the context of a multi-ship engagement.

=> dynamics of large-scale unit movement=> C3 – issues

3. Analyzing 5th/4th c. naval history by employing results gained from 1. and 2.

Main purpose of Diekplous!

1. Establishing a tactical simulation of a 5th c. trireme allowing to exploit the capabilities and limitations of the type.

2. Putting the individual ship into the context of a multi-ship engagement.

=> dynamics of large-scale unit movement=> C3 – issues

3. Analyzing 5th/4th c. naval history by employing results gained from 1. and 2.

4. Transferring methodology and results to Hellenistic and later polyreme warfare.