TRI'REDIE (from tres, three, and •emus, an oar) is the designation given in ancient times to a galley having three banks of oars. It is said to have been first employed by the Corinthians in their war with Corcyra, 664 TI.c. In the Persian and Peloponnesian wars, triremes were the largest vessels employed; but at the time of Alexander, we find that galleys whh four and live banks had gradually come into favor. In the Panic wars, the Carthaginians generally employed qffinqueremes; and as the Roman triremes could have 110 chance against vessels with such high bulwarks, the ROM:MS henceforth constructed their war-vessels after the model of the Carthaginian quinquereme.
The banks of oars were elevated above each other, but not perpendicularly; and the lowest rank of rowers having the shortest oars and easiest work, had the least pay. The trireme or quinquereme was also provided with a square sail, which was used when the wind was favorable for voyaging, to relieve the labor of the rowers, but it was not. em ployed in action. The crew consisted of about 200 men; and on a smooth sea, in speed and accuracy of maneuvering, the trireme was little inferior to a modern steamboat. In
the earlier times, before the Persian war, and even later, victory depended more ivpon the number and valor of the soldiers on board, than upon the skill of the seamen. l le rodotus mentions that beshles the crew there were 40 marines serving on hoard each Io nian trireme. The Athenians iMproved this system by decreasing the number of fighting men, and trusting more to the skillful management of their vessels. Ina fight, the aim of each trireme was not as before, to grapple with its opponent, hut to dash with the greatest momentum possible with its against the enemy's vessel, and strike it amidsldp, or, at any rate, disable his banks of oars on one side. Fighting men were not so match wanted for these tactics; and so we find later on, in the Peloponnesian wars, the nnmh'.'t' of marines in each ship reduced to ten. It is singular to see this system of. ram-fighting coming once more into vogue. A contrivance for strengthening the prow of the trireme, and increasing its efficiency as a ram, gave the Syracusans their final vic tory over the Athenians in the harbor of Syracuse.