Roman shipyards in Britain were likely involved in both the construction of new ships and the maintenance and repair of existing vessels.
Roman shipbuilding techniques were advanced for the time, featuring well-designed hulls, robust construction, and the ability to build larger ships capable of crossing open seas and navigating Britain’s rivers.
Part of the might of the Roman Empire was built on its maritime prowess. This ancient civilization ruled the seas of its time, engaging in dramatic sea battles, trading goods with far off lands, and invading lands via way of the water.
Rome built impressive seafaring vessels and maintained these across the empire to a high standard.
Contents
- The Beginnings of a Roman Navy
- Ships for Invading, Trading, and Transporting
- Shipyards of Roman Britain?
- The Shipyard of Emperors
- A Quest to Conquer the Seas
While many of the ancient shipbuilding yards of the Roman Empire have been lost to time, some examples have been uncovered and give a glimpse into the magnificent scale of Roman ship construction.
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From military fleets bringing dangerous invaders, to trade ships carrying metal and other goods back to the beating heart of Rome, ancient Britain was no stranger to the ships that made up the maritime might of Rome.
The Beginnings of a Roman Navy
Traditionally, Rome wasn’t a largely seafaring nation, and instead the maritime prowess of the Roman Empire was something that developed over time.
The First Punic War, which took place between 264 and 241 BCE marked the first foray of Rome into building a significant naval force.
Prior to this point in time, Rome had a relatively small naval force, having been estimated to consist of just twenty ships in 311 BCE.
However, Rome’s enemy in the First Punic War, Carthage, held naval might. Carthage is thought to have boasted the largest naval force in the world at the time.
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Seeing the advantages that a developed maritime force could bring, Rome began to rapidly increase its ship building efforts, copying and borrowing techniques and styles from seafaring nations such as Carthage and Greece.
Before long, Rome had developed a force to outshine Carthage’s and claim the title of the largest in the ancient world.
Ships For Invading, Trading and Transporting
Rome used their ships for a multitude of purposes, from trade to military endeavours. As such, this ancient power had a variety of ships that were designed to fill these differing purposes.
Roman Trade Ships
Merchant ships were a common sight at docks across the Roman Empire, and while we may think of major trade deals as a modern development, Rome conducted significant trade with other ancient empires and regions within the vast confines of the Roman Empire itself.
Between one and three AD, Rome was importing a staggering 150,000 tons of grain from Egypt to feed its hungry population.
The sea trade coming into Rome had both economic and practical advantages. In many cases, it was actually cheaper to transport goods by sea than land.
In the case of grain, it was more economically advantageous to transport product across the Mediterranean by sea than it was to move the same amount of grain just fifteen miles via land.
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It wasn’t just Egypt that Rome used to import and export goods to. Britain used to supply Rome with wool, lead and tin, while spices and perfumes would be imported and exported from North Africa and Spain.
Just the port of Ostia, located roughly fifteen kilometres from Rome used to receive an estimated 1200 large merchant ships annually. The largest merchant and trade ships could transport up to 600 tons, while the average trade vessel was capable of transporting between 100 and 150 tons.
While trade ships could be pulled into service for military operations at any time, they were designed with trade, not warfare in mind.
Trade ships designed to transport goods such as grain were constructed with hulls incorporating high sides and that were large enough in size to be able to transport large loads.
While many trade ships were designed to rely on sails for power, one type of Roman trade ship known as the acturia incorporated both sails and oars to power it.
The combination of oars and sails made these ships desirable for their speed and reliability. As such, acturias commonly carried goods such as meat and cheese, and even transported animals destined for the Roman amphitheatres.
Roman War Ships
Rome relied upon its military prowess when conquering far off lands, and of course, war ships played a huge part in this. One of the ship styles that was central to Caesar’s invasion of the British Isles were known as biremes.
These ancient warships were no small vessel, averaging twenty-four metres in length and three metres in width. Biremes had two rows of oars on either side, with the name of the vessel quite literally translating to mean ‘two oar’.
The ship required up to 120 rowers to operate it and was designed to be able to reach impressive speeds.
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It is said that when Caesar set out to invade Britain, he commanded a force consisting of more than eighty ships, composed of both transport and trade vessels to move a large number of troops and supplies, alongside a considerable force of war ships such as biremes .
Liburnas, a smaller type of warship, was also extensively used in ancient Rome. This smaller vessel was adapted from a style commonly used by a tribe from modern day Croatia.
These vessels were designed with twenty-five oars on each side and were designed to be quick and agile. Due to this agility, it was not uncommon for liburnas to be used for raids and patrols, and by the later first century, these compact vessels formed a key component of the Roman naval forces.
On the other hand, Rome had some incredibly large warships for the time at its disposal. Quadriremes were warships that reached a huge forty-five metres in length and were operated by 300 oarsmen.
It was not uncommon for Roman warships to be fitted with rams, often made of bronze. These were used during battle to ram into enemy ships to damage and potentially sink an enemy vessel.
Shipyards of Roman Britain?
Of course, all these ships had to be built and maintained somewhere, so shipyards were an important part of ancient Rome.
Ships played a large role in the Roman invasion and occupation of Britain, and while it is certainly possible that Rome had shipyards in Britain, they don’t seem to have survived into the modern era.
Rome had a number of ports that were in frequent use across Roman Britain that facilitated both trade and military operations. As such, if ship yards did exist in Roman Britain it would make sense that they would have been located near these ports.
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There was at least one major port located in modern day London, and another in the south of Kent near the modern day village of Lympne. The name of Lympne is even said to have originated with the Roman name of the settlement and port, Portus Lemanis.
Sea ports weren’t the only type of port in Roman Britain, with river ports also being an important part of Roman infrastructure. Many riverside settlements had ports in ancient Rome, particularly in the case of more prominent towns and cities, with a good example of this being Bath.
While ships were used across Roman Britain and some may have been constructed in Britain, it is also likely that a large majority of the ships used during the occupation were constructed elsewhere and simply sent to the British Isles.
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However, while the shipyards of Roman Britain may seem to have been lost to time, you never know when a new discovery will be uncovered.
The Shipyard of Emperors
While Roman shipyards in the British Isles may appear illusive, British archeologists have been a part of making some huge discoveries when it comes to Rome’s past maritime endeavours.
In 2011, researchers from the University of Southampton were involved in uncovering the remains of a major shipbuilding yard located twenty miles from the city of Rome.
Believed to be the largest imperial shipyard in not just Italy but the entire Mediterranean, the structure stands five stories tall and is dated to have been constructed as early as 117 AD.
The ancient site wasn’t a stand alone structure either, but was part of a huge ancient port complex that spans over two square miles.
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Aside from its size, the discovery is also important due to its likely status in Roman times. The shipyard is believed to have been used for more than repairing and building everyday vessels, but to have been responsible for creating and maintaining the vessels that carried ancient emperors.
This included names still known today and that had particular influence in Roman Britain, such as the famous Emperor Hadrian.
The port that the structure is a part of was an important trading centre in ancient Roman times and provided a key avenue for goods from across the Mediterranean to enter into mainland Italy and to the rest of the Roman Empire.
A Quest to Conquer the Seas
While there may not be a great many surviving examples of Roman shipyards, the legacy of Rome’s maritime endeavours lives on.
From the ports of Britain to the ancient shipyards of the Mediterranean, tangible examples are still being uncovered of Rome’s power over the seas.
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Growing to become a highly adept boat building and, consequently, seafaring powerhouse, Rome reaped the benefits of trade and military power that taking to the seas allowed.
So, while there may not be many examples of Roman shipyards still surviving today, from the terrifying tales of naval fleets landing on Britain’s shores to the foundations of trade established in an ancient world; the legacy of Rome’s quest to conquer the seas certainly lives on.
Evidence of Roman shipbuilding in Britain is primarily archaeological. Discoveries such as the remains of Roman-era ships, tools, and infrastructure give insight into the scale and sophistication of Roman naval activities in Britain.
