Cobi Roman galley

Unlike other ancient peoples, the Romans did not have their own shipbuilding tradition and initially adopted foreign designs for their fleet, which they further developed. The Cobi model most closely resembles a so-called liburna, a light warship originally equipped with two tiers of oarsmen (bireme). Later, the Romans used this term generally for warships, as the majority of their naval fleet consisted of this type of ship. The Roman fleet only existed from the First Punic War (264 - 241 BC), in which it already played an important role. Forced into naval warfare by the Carthaginians, the Romans applied their preferred strategy to the sea and boarded enemy ships with their superior marines. Additionally, the liburnae were primarily used for securing sea routes, combating piracy, and troop transport. The captain of a ship (trierarchus) and the commander of the marines (centurio classicus) held equal rank, but the captain had the final say in all nautical decisions. Rowers (remiges) and sailors (nautae) were considered full-fledged soldiers, like the marines (manipularii), and were either free men or freedmen. Unlike legionaries, however, they did not have to possess Roman citizenship. Detailed model with 1810 pieces, 3 figures, and printed blocks. Model dimensions (LxWxH): 57 x 28 x 35 cm.