Hyperetika: Auxiliary Ships in the Service of Ancient Greek and Roman Navies
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Best known for their immense warships, the Greek and Roman war fleets also included units that did not participate in military confrontations. Auxiliary ships, largely known as hyperetika, constituted the majority of vessels in battle fleets and were a vital tool of ancient thalassocracies to carry out expeditions and rule over vast maritime areas. The cost of building and maintaining fleets required substantial funds, which in addition to warships, supported a broad variety of crafts. Although navies did not construct any specific typology of auxiliary ships, our investigation identified three categories: fast ships, troop- and horse-carriers, and reused merchantmen.
Source: Historia
Authors: Nantet, Emmanuel, Olejniczak, Pascal
Language: English
Topic: Classical Antiquity Studies
Subfield: Anthropology
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funder: European Research Council
Award: G4102198596
OpenAlex ID: W7154744909
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