Written by the renowned authority on ancient ships and seafaring Lionel Casson, The Ancient Mariners has long served the needs of all who are interested in the sea, from the casual reader to the professional historian. This completely revised edition takes into account the fresh information that has appeared since the book was first published in 1959, especially that from archaeology's newest branch, marine archaeology. Casson does what no other author has done: he has put in a single volume the story of all that the ancients accomplished on the sea from the earliest times to the end of the Roman Empire. He explains how they perfected trading vessels from mere rowboats into huge freighters that could carry over a thousand tons, how they transformed warships from simple oared transports into complex rowing machines holding hundreds of marines and even heavy artillery, and how their maritime commerce progressed from short cautious voyages to a network that reached from Spain to India.
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It is astonishing how much new evidence on ancient seafaring has emerged since the first edition of this book was published. . . . Lionel Casson sets out this new material, and much more. -- The Classical Outlook
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not A Slow Boat,
By Holy Olio "holy_olio" (Grand Rapids, MI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Ancient Mariners (Paperback)
This is the first of Casson's titles I read, in the old edition, and I plan to read the new edition which I have in fact purchased. The new edition has been extensively edited, with some new material, but the chapter structure appears to be very much the same as in the old edition. This work is an excellent companion to Casson's "Travel In The Ancient World", but is not about travel. The construction of ships is very old, and the evolution of building methods and sheer size during ancient times makes for fascinating reading. Casson gets my vote for most readable historian, at least regarding ancient history, and I doubt that anyone with an interest in ships and sailing would be able to put this down. Casson's discussion of ancient commercial connections in the Indian Ocean, or the relative size of (for example) the grain hauling behemoths and the much smaller vessels of our more familiar "Age of Sail" should be of interest to those who think Columbus was last, as well as to those with more conventional views.
21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A marvelous book essencial to the study of ancient history,
By
This review is from: The Ancient Mariners: Seafarers and Sea Fighters of the Mediterranean in Ancient Times. (Second Edition) (Hardcover)
Every reader interested in history, from casual to scholar will find in this book a valuable resource to understand the origin and evolution of seafaring until the end of the middle ages. The importance of this seafaring activity becomes obvious through a well written text which bring us the vivid glow of people, devices and events long gone. After reading this work, a history book lacking reference to seafaring will seem very incomplete.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
enlightenment for the ignorant,
By
This review is from: The Ancient Mariners (Paperback)
I loved this book. I know nothing about ships or sailing (except sitting as a passive passenger). Hence, I was surprised when I found myself: (1) able to understand most of what he said; (2) thoroughly enjoying it; and (3) incorporating this feast of knowledge into my understanding of ancient history. So keen on it am I, I'm sending a copy to my brother who had a career in the Navy, in addition to handling his own small boats.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
IN THE VERY beginning men went down, not to the sea but to quiet waters, and not in ships but in anything that would float: logs that could be straddled, rafts of wood or of reeds, perhaps even inflated skins. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
ancient shipwright, seaward wing, marine archaeology, merchant galleys, ancient wrecks, sea raiders, sailing season Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Black Sea, Strait of Gibraltar, North Africa, Roman Empire, Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean, Peloponnesian War, Ulu Burun, Strait of Messina, Alexander the Great, Cape Malea, First Punic War, Grand Congloué, Tyrrhenian Sea, Antigonus Gonatas, Chariot of the Gods, Constantine the Great, Emperor Caligula, Gulf of Aden, Herne Island, King Ptolemy, Long Colonnade, Mycenaean Age, Near East, Necho's Phoenicians New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
IN THE VERY beginning men went down, not to the sea but to quiet waters, and not in ships but in anything that would float: logs that could be straddled, rafts of wood or of reeds, perhaps even inflated skins. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
ancient shipwright, seaward wing, marine archaeology, merchant galleys, ancient wrecks, sea raiders, sailing season Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Black Sea, Strait of Gibraltar, North Africa, Roman Empire, Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean, Peloponnesian War, Ulu Burun, Strait of Messina, Alexander the Great, Cape Malea, First Punic War, Grand Congloué, Tyrrhenian Sea, Antigonus Gonatas, Chariot of the Gods, Constantine the Great, Emperor Caligula, Gulf of Aden, Herne Island, King Ptolemy, Long Colonnade, Mycenaean Age, Near East, Necho's Phoenicians New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 37
books:
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100
books
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- Select Papyri, Volume II, Public Documents: Codes and Regulations, Edicts and Orders, Public Announcements, Reports of Meetings, Judicial Business, ... and Others (Loeb Classical Library No. 282) by A. S. Hunt in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- History of Ancient Geography by J. Oliver Thomson in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- The Social and Economic History of the Roman Empire by Michael Ivanovitch Rostovtzeff in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Tell El-Amarna Tablets by Samuel A. B. Mercer in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Travel in the Ancient World by Lionel Casson in Back Matter
See all 37 books this book cites
- The Children of Noah by Raphael Patai on 5 pages
- Prevailing Winds: When the Storms of Life Take Control by Stanley Jordan on 5 pages
- The Building Program of Herod the Great by Duane W. Roller on page 34, page 234, and Back Matter
- The Crusades: Islamic Perspectives by Carole Hillenbrand on page 583, page 585, and Back Matter
- Posidonius 2 Volume Hardback Set: Volume 2, The Commentary (Cambridge Classical Texts and Commentaries) (Vol 2) by Posidonius on page 246, page 255, and page 257
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