168 SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE 
on the opposite side, expressly tells us that, although Polybius had 
described the Romans and Carthaginians as using vessels with six 
banks of oars, they had ceased to construct even triremes long before 
his time. 
Doletus, indeed, the virulent adversary of Erasmus of Rotterdam, 
tells us (A.D. 1537) that he saw such a guinguereme, at Venice, 
“prima adolescentia ;’ but, unfortunately, he tells us also that the 
rowers were placed in tiers, one above the other: an arrangement of 
which M. Fincati himself admits the impossibility. Now Doletus 
may be easily disposed of: he is defending himself against a charge 
of ignorant appropriation from a work by the learned Bayfius ; and 
it is absolutely necessary for him to bring out something original. 
Bayfius has ended by declaring his doubts as to the possibility of 
three or more tiers oftoars: Doletus finds no difficulty in saying that 
he has seen. No one, who has waded through the foul torrent of 
invective in which Doletus indulges, would take his word for any- 
thing. Moreover, he says “prima adolescentia:” let us trust that 
he had forgotten. After examining with some care the numerous 
passages cited by Bayfius, Meibomius, Opellius, Scheffer and Voss, I 
have come to the conclusion that most of them may be satisfactorily 
explained. Considerable latitude must, of course, be allowed in the 
case of quotations from the poets—although there is one passage, in 
particular (Arrian, Yaped. Alewand. VI. 5), which can only he 
accounted for on the theory that some interpolator has been at work. 
Finally, we must not lose sight of the fact that Ancient war-ships 
were not constructed on such rigidly scientific principles or with such 
exact workmanship, that barely possible positions and intricate com- 
binations may be assumed for seating the men and adjusting their 
oars: on the contrary, the doubt must be given against such; and | 
no arrangement but the simplest and most feasible can be accepted, 
if we are to believe that, in the First Punic war, the fleet of Duillius 
was ready to sail within sixty days of the felling of the timber, or 
that, in the Second, Scipio’s was built in still less time. Moreover, 
we must bear in mind that intricate combinations require absolute 
order; and however much this might have been observed (and 
Xenophon tells us that it was observed, adding that the trireme was 
crowded with men cecaypévn dv0p@xwy) on ordinary occasions ; yet, 
with a shower of darts falling on the men and the waves leaping up 
against the oars, it must occasionally have been impossible to avoid 
confusion, and that too at the critical moment. 
