Rostrum
Rostrum – ram on warships of the ancient Roman fleet. Ramming into the side of an enemy ship was the main combat technique in naval combat. The ram was located below the water level,which made it possible to quickly sink the ship. The rostrum was also a war trophy. In the future,the concept of rostrum was transferred to the bow figure on the ship,but the tradition of displaying rostrums of defeated ships remained. A striking example is the rostral columns on Vasilievsky Island in St. Petersburg.
Rostrum on Roman coins. Sheffer J. De militia navali veterum. Ubsalie,1654. P. 125The rostrum was made mainly of bronze. The most common form was the trident. However,sometimes there are rams in the form of a boar's head. The best preserved antique rostrum is kept in a museum in Haifa,Israel.
Ram from the Haifa Museum. drawing by I. V. Kirsanov
A ram shaped like a boar's head,found in the harbor of Genoa,Italy. Located in Armeria Reale (Royal Arsenal),Turin,ItalyFunction
A rostrum is a projecting ship's ram or an architectural motif derived from such a naval ram. In Roman tradition captured rostra became symbols of naval victory and were used in public monuments. The best-known example is the rostra in the Forum, a speaker's platform from which magistrates and orators addressed the people.
Reconstruction
In reconstruction it is important to distinguish the ship component from its monumental representation. For a vessel, the ram's shape, attachment to the bow, and relation to the hull structure matter most. For an architectural copy, proportions, rows of projections, facing material, and context are more important: forum, victory monument, or museum display.
Literature
- Lionel Casson, Ships and Seamanship in the Ancient World.
- William M. Murray, The Age of Titans: The Rise and Fall of the Great Hellenistic Navies.
- Amanda Claridge, Rome: An Oxford Archaeological Guide.
Related topics
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