This is an important study of the new types of warships which evolved in the navies of the Mediterranean in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, and of their use by Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans in the fleets and naval battles in the second and first centuries, culminating in the Battle of Aktion. The book includes a catalogue and discussion of the iconography of the ships with over fifty illustrations from coins, sculptures and other objects. John Coates discusses reconstructions, crews, ships and tactics illuminated by the recent experiments with the reconstructed trireme Olympias . Complete with gazetteer, glossary, bibliography and indexes.

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Abbreviations
• List of Maps
• List of Plans
• List of Illustrations
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• 1 THE AGE OF INNOVATION: 399–280 BC Appendix
• 2 SEA POWER IN THE MEDITERRANEAN: 280–200 BC
• 3 CHALLENGES TO ROMAN SEA POWER: 200–50 BC
• 4 FLEETS OF THE ROMAN CIVIL WARS: 50–30 BC Appendices A and B
• 5 ICONOGRAPHY
• 6 CATEGORIES AND TYPES
• 7 RECONSTRUCTIONS J. F. Coates Appendices A–F
• 8 CREWS, SHIPS, AND TACTICS
• Gazetteer
• Glossary
• Bibliography