Editing First Punic War (section)

=== Navies ===

[[Quinqueremes]], meaning "five-oared",{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=98}} provided the workhorse of the Roman and Carthaginian fleets throughout the [[Punic Wars]].{{sfn|Lazenby|1996|pp=27–28}} So ubiquitous was the type that Polybius uses it as a shorthand for "warship" in general.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=104}} A quinquereme carried a crew of 300: 280 oarsmen and 20 deck crew and officers.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=100}} It would also normally carry a complement of 40 marines{{snd}}usually soldiers assigned to the ship{{sfn|Tipps|1985|p=435}}{{snd}}if battle was thought to be imminent this would be increased to as many as 120.{{sfn|Casson|1995|p=121}}{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=102–103}}

[[File:Corvus.svg|left|thumb|upright=0.85|alt=A diagram showing the location and usage of a {{lang|la|corvus}} on a Roman galley.|{{center|The ''[[corvus (weapon)|corvus]]'', the Roman [[Naval boarding|ship boarding]] device}}]]

Getting the oarsmen to row as a unit, let alone to execute more complex battle manoeuvres, required long and arduous training.{{sfn|Casson|1995|pp=278–280}} At least half of the oarsmen would need to have had some experience if the ship was to be handled effectively.{{sfn|de Souza|2008|p=358}} As a result, the Romans were initially at a disadvantage against the more experienced Carthaginians. To counter this, the Romans introduced the [[corvus (weapon)|''corvus'']], a bridge {{convert|1.2|m|ft|sigfig=1|abbr=off}} wide and {{convert|11|m|ft|abbr=off}} long, with a heavy spike on the underside of the free end, which was designed to pierce and anchor into an enemy ship's deck.{{sfn|Casson|1995|p=121}} This allowed Roman legionaries acting as marines to [[Naval boarding|board enemy ships]] and capture them, rather than employing the previously [[Naval tactics in the Age of Galleys|traditional tactic]] of [[ramming]].{{sfn|Miles|2011|p=178}}

All warships were equipped with rams, a triple set of {{convert|60|cm|ft|sigfig=1|adj=mid |-wide }} bronze blades weighing up to {{convert|270|kg|lb|sigfig=2}} positioned at the waterline. In the century prior to the Punic Wars, boarding had become increasingly common and ramming had declined, as the [[Hellenistic-era warships|larger and heavier vessels]] adopted in this period lacked the speed and manoeuvrability necessary to ram, while their sturdier construction reduced the ram's effect even in case of a successful attack. The Roman adaptation of the {{lang|la|corvus}} was a continuation of this trend and compensated for their initial disadvantage in ship-manoeuvring skills. The added weight in the prow compromised both the ship's manoeuvrability and its seaworthiness, and in rough sea conditions the {{lang|la|corvus}} became useless.{{sfn|Miles|2011|p=178}}{{sfn|Wallinga|1956|pp=77–90}}{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=100–101, 103}}