The Ancient Sailing Season (Mnemosyne Supplements History and Archaeology of Classical Antiquity) by James Beresford
English | 2013 | ISBN-10: 9004223525 | 364 pages | PDF | 5,6 MB
English | 2013 | ISBN-10: 9004223525 | 364 pages | PDF | 5,6 MB
Providing a comprehensive examination of the capacity of ancient ships and seafarers to cope with seasonally changing sea conditions, this book draws on a wide range of ancient literary sources while also taking account of modern weather records, hydrological data, and recent archaeological discoveries.
Taking a fresh look at the various ways in which seasonality affected maritime transport across the sea-lanes of the ancient world, it offers new perspectives on the nature of seaborne trade, naval warfare and piratical operations. The result is a volume that questions many long-held scholarly assumptions concerning the strength and seaworthiness of ancient vessels, as well as the abilities of Greek and Roman mariners, to regularly undertake voyages across hazardous stretches of sea.