Trireme Vs Galleon – Which Is Better?

Key Point: A galleon is better than a trireme due to its superior firepower, size, and durability. Triremes prioritized speed and agility, whereas galleons were larger, more heavily armed vessels designed for open-sea combat.

This article will cover the topic of trireme vs galleon. You will see how these two naval weapons stack up against each other and of course which is better. So, as always before we continue I will give you the key takeaways of the entire article in an easy-to-digest format. A table. Who doesn’t like a well-organized table?

Key Takeaway Of The Article:

That is the short summary of the article in an easily digestible format. Now, let’s take a look at each point in a little more detail. Starting with origin.

Trireme Vs Galleon – Their Origin

The trireme is believed to have been invented by the ancient Greeks. The trireme was a significant advancement in naval technology, as it was faster and more maneuverable than previous types of warships. In essence, the Greeks took the bireme design from the Phoenicians and added another row of oars on each side.

And the Galleon?

In contrast, the galleon is a much later type of ship. Used primarily in Europe from the 16th to the 18th centuries.

The galleon was developed during the age of exploration when European powers were exploring and colonizing new territories around the world. It was designed to be a sturdy and reliable vessel that could travel long distances across the ocean and was often armed with cannons and other weapons to protect against enemy ships.

That was the origin part. Now, let’s move on to the size difference between the two.

The Size Difference

As before we will start with the trireme and then move on to the galleon.

The trireme was a relatively small ship. It measured just around 120 feet in length and 18 feet in width. It was designed to be sleek and streamlined, with a shallow draft that allowed it to move quickly through the water. The trireme was also relatively light, weighing only around 50 tons.

What about the galleon? well, it could blow the trireme out of the water. Here is why.

The galleon was a much larger ship, measuring up to 200 feet in length and 40 feet in width. It was designed to be a sturdy and reliable warship that could travel long distances across the ocean. The galleon was also much heavier than the trireme, weighing up to 1,000 tons.

Why Such A Huge Size Difference?

The size difference between the two ships is reflective of their different purposes. The trireme was designed for close-quarters combat and short-range operations, which required it to be fast and maneuverable. And the galleon? The galleon was designed for long-range voyages and the projection of military power across vast distances, which required it to be larger and more heavily built.

So, that’s the size difference. Now, let’s move on to …. propulsion and speed.

Trireme Vs Galleon – Propulsion And Speed

As always let’s begin with the trireme.

The trireme was powered by a crew of up to 170 oarsmen, who sat in rows along the sides of the ship and rowed in unison. This allowed the trireme to move quickly and with great agility, making it a formidable weapon in ancient naval warfare. The trireme was capable of reaching speeds of up to 9 knots, or approximately 10 miles per hour.

While the galleon was primarily propelled by its sails. This allowed it to travel long distances across the ocean. It typically had one or two masts and multiple sails, which could be adjusted to catch the wind and propel the ship forward. But, the galleon was much slower than the trireme, with a top speed of only around 4 knots, or approximately 4.6 miles per hour.

So, you might think that’s bad. well, not necessarily. The trireme would find it difficult to maintain top speed for extended periods of time, considering they relied on human power. While the galleon could maintain top speed as long as the winds cooperated.

Now we should take a look at the armaments and crew size jointly. There is a huge difference between the two in that regard.

Crew Size And Weapons

Well, this is one of the biggest differences between the two. The trireme had a crew of roughly 200 people. 170 of them were oarsmen powering the ship and the rest were officers or soldiers whose job was to board the enemy ship.

And the galleon? Well, it depended on the galleon but crew sizes could be from 200 to 400 crew members. Ranging, from sailors, officers, soldiers, and of course gunners.

While I did mention both of the ships had soldiers on board whose job was to scale the enemy ship and fight to take it over, the similarities end there. Here is what I mean.

The Weapons

The trireme had rudimentary weapons. It relied on a giant ram on the ship to ram the enemy ship with the purpose of making a huge hole. And of course whenever possible to get close to the enemy ship and have soldiers climb aboard. The Romans accomplished that with their Corvus. But other methods were available.

Ergo, the trireme had as its weapon: The battering ram used to ram enemy ships. Soldiers on board that fired projectile weapons from a distance. And of course, soldiers used hand-held weapons to go after the people on the deck of the opposing ship.

And the galleon?

The galleon had a few weapons available.

It typically carried a large number of cannons which it used to fire at enemy ships at a distance. The soldiers aboard the deck used firearms to clear the enemy deck from sailors to make it easier to board the ship. And once on the deck of the opposing ship, they use handheld weapons such as the cutlass to cut through enemy ranks.

Which Ship Is Better?

In my opinion, the galleon is a way better warship. While its speed is not ideal, the other characteristics make it a far superior choice to the trireme.

In Conclusion

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I hope you learned a thing or two. See you at the next one.

Take care!

Sources:

Thucydides’ “History of the Peloponnesian War,”

The Safeguard of the Sea: A Naval History of Britain 660-1649