Dromon

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Dromon

The dromons (from Greek

Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
d??µ??, dromon, i.e. "runner") were the most important warship

Warship

A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way than cargo ship....
s of the Byzantine navy

Byzantine navy

The Byzantine navy comprised the navy of the Byzantine Empire. Like the empire it served, it developed directly from its earlier Roman Navy, but in comparison with its precursor played a far greater role in the defense and survival of the state....
from the 6th to 12th centuries AD. They were indirectly developed from the ancient trireme

Trireme

File:Romtrireme.jpgThe trireme is a class of warships used by the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean, especially the Phoenicians, ancient Greece and ancient Rome....
and were usually propelled by both oar

Oar

An oar is an implement used for water-borne Marine propulsion. Oars have a flat Blade at one end. The oarsmen grasp the oar at the other end....
and sail

Sail

A sail is any type of surface intended to generate thrust by being placed in a wind—in essence a vertically-oriented wing. Sails are used in sailing....
, a configuration that had been used by navies in the Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean Sea

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The dromons (from Greek

Greek language

Warship

A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way than cargo ship....
s of the Byzantine navy

Byzantine navy

Trireme

Oar

An oar is an implement used for water-borne Marine propulsion. Oars have a flat Blade at one end. The oarsmen grasp the oar at the other end....
and sail

Sail

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea or Ocean off the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia....
for centuries.

Literary sources and accounts reveal that there were at least three varieties of dromon. These were, firstly the ousiakon which took its name from one company or ousia of 100 men. This was a two-banked galley with the lower rank rowing only, and the upper rank rowing or disengaging to fight when required. Secondly the slightly larger pamphylos with a crew of between 120-160. Thirdly the dromon proper, which had a crew of 200, 50 on the lower bank, and 100 on the upper bank in two files, together with 50 marines.

The dromons had a central tower (xylokastron = wooden castle) near the main mast

Mast (sailing)

The mast of a sailing ship is a tall, vertical, or near vertical, spar, or arrangement of spars, which supports the sails. Large ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship....
, from which the marines could use their bow

Bow (weapon)

A bow is a weapon that projects arrows powered by the elasticity of the bow. Essentially, it is a form of Spring . As the bow is drawn, energy is stored in the limbs of the bow and transformed into rapid motion when the string is released, with the string transferring this force to the arrow....
and arrow

Arrow

An arrow is a pointed projectile that is shot with a bow . It predates recorded history and is common to most cultures....
s or throw spear

Spear

A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a sharpened head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be of another material fastened to the shaft, such as obsidian, iron or bronze....
s and other projectiles. Dromons were frequently equipped with flamethrower

Flamethrower

A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of fire.Some flamethrowers project a stream of ignited liquid fuel; some project a long Liquefied petroleum gas flame....
s (siphones, hence the ships were described as siphonophoroi dromones) that discharged Greek fire

Greek fire

Greek fire was a primitive incendiary device weapon used by the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines typically used it in naval battles to great effect as it could continue burning even on water....
and catapult

Catapult

A catapult is any one of a number of non-handheld mechanical devices used to throw a projectile a great distance without the aid of an explosive substance?particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines....
s capable of hurling 10 kg projectiles up to 250 meters.

Middle English dromond and Old French dromont are derived from the dromon, and described any particularly large medieval ship.