Visitors row the Olympias, replica of an ancient galley, at Saronic gulf in southern Athens. The 121-foot wooden vessel moored off southern Athens is an experimental reconstruction of the trireme, the sleek ancient Greek warship that halted a Persian invasion of Europe and ruled the Mediterranean for centuries.
Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press
Visitors row the Olympias, replica of an ancient galley, at Saronic gulf in southern Athens. The 121-foot wooden vessel moored off southern Athens is an experimental reconstruction of the trireme, the sleek ancient Greek warship that halted a Persian invasion of Europe and ruled the Mediterranean for centuries. Every summer, visitors can get a whiff of life in the galleys 2,500 years ago by joining the crew of the Olympias, and work up a sweat rowing it.
Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press
The Olympias, a replica of an ancient galley, approaches at Flisvos Marina at Saronic gulf in southern Athens. The 121-foot wooden vessel moored off southern Athens is an experimental reconstruction of the trireme, the sleek ancient Greek warship that halted a Persian invasion of Europe and ruled the Mediterranean for centuries. Every summer, visitors can get a whiff of life in the galleys 2,500 years ago by joining the crew of the Olympias, and work up a sweat rowing it.
Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press
Visitors row the Olympias, replica of an ancient galley, at Saronic gulf in southern Athens. The 37-meter wooden vessel moored off southern Athens is an experimental reconstruction of the trireme, the sleek ancient Greek warship that halted a Persian invasion of Europe and ruled the Mediterranean for centuries.
Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press
Olympia’s captain, Commander Nikos Polychronakis, gives instructions to the visitors at Saronic gulf in southern Athens.
Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press
Visitors row the Olympias, a replica of an ancient galley, as a Greek Navy sailor gives instructions at Saronic gulf in southern Athens. The 121-foot wooden vessel moored off southern Athens is an experimental reconstruction of the trireme, the sleek ancient Greek warship that halted a Persian invasion of Europe and ruled the Mediterranean for centuries.
Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press
Visitors row the Olympias, a replica of an ancient galley, at Saronic gulf in southern Athens.
Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press
A vessel of the Fire Department accompanies the Olympias, a replica of an ancient galley, at Saronic gulf in southern Athens.
Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press
Greek navy sailors unfurl the sails of Olympias, a replica of an ancient galley at Saronic gulf in southern Athens.
Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press
Visitors row the Olympias, replica of an ancient galley, at Saronic gulf in southern Athens.
Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press
Greek Navy sailors unfurl the sails of Olympias, replica of an ancient galley, at Saronic gulf in southern Athens.
Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press
Visitors embark Greece’s Olympias, the replica of an ancient galley, at Flisvos Marina in southern Athens.
Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press
Greece’s Olympias, a replica of an ancient galley, is docked at Flisvos Marina in southern Athens.
Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press
ATHENS, Greece – For a NATO-member warship, Greece’s Olympias is pretty unusual. It’s got a zero carbon footprint, no whale-zapping sonar and an antiquated propulsion system.
The 121-foot wooden vessel moored off southern Athens is an experimental reconstruction of the trireme, the sleek ancient Greek warship that halted a Persian invasion of Europe and ruled the Mediterranean for centuries.
Every summer, visitors can get a whiff of life in the galleys 2,500 years ago by joining the crew of the Olympias – and work up a sweat rowing it.
The long, narrow ships carried two small sails, but propulsion was mostly provided by 170 oarsmen, seated in three rows below deck. Lower ranks got to smell the upper ones’ feet.
Visitors do all the rowing on the Olympias’ two-hour-long public trips, conducted near Salamis island where, in 480 B.C., outnumbered Athenian triremes vanquished a Persian armada in one of the world’s most famous sea engagements.
“I was surprised at how much work it is (to) move forward,” said Swiss visitor Martin Roosli. “I can (hardly) imagine how you can row from one island to the other with this boat.”
A small navy contingent under Commander Nikos Polychronakis handles the sails and gives commands and the beat. Originally, a flute-player would have provided the rhythm – ancient Greek navies didn’t use whips, and the oarsmen were free citizens.
Polychronakis said prospective rowers worry that they’re unfit, too old, or lack rowing skills. “None of this is so important,” he told The Associated Press. “We just aim to get people to know the trireme and have fun.”
For safety reasons, the 47-ton replica’s sorties are accompanied by navy speedboats and a fire-fighting ship.
With a top speed of 9 knots, it’s armed with a bronze ram that could smash through the thin planking of enemy vessels. No substantial ancient wrecks have been found.
“It has great maneuverability, can travel in very shallow waters and – for its time – is very fast,” Polychronakis said.
Built under plans by British naval architect John Coates in 1985-87, Olympias carried the flame for the 2004 Athens Olympics and then spent a decade on land. Trips for the public started in 2016.
Triremes dominated Mediterranean naval warfare from the 5th century B.C. and were used until early Christian times.
In the 4th century B.C. Greek states experimented with progressively bigger galleys with more than one person per oar, but never more than three banks.
One twin-hulled behemoth probably had up to eight men per oar. According to one ancient writer, it carried 4,000 oarsmen, 400 other sailors and 3,000 marines.
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