Mdthbs

Testing thermite for chemical properties

I have found ports on my Samsung smart tv running a display service. What can I do with it?

First occurrence in the Sixers sequence

How to know whether to write accidentals as sharps or flats?

2 Managed Packages in 1 Dev Org

Using roof rails to set up hammock

How can I maintain game balance while allowing my player to craft genuinely useful items?

How did the European Union reach the figure of 3% as a maximum allowed deficit?

How useful is the GRE Exam?

Are their examples of rowers who also fought?

How could I create a situation in which a PC has to make a saving throw or be forced to pet a dog?

What is the context for Napoleon's quote "[the Austrians] did not know the value of five minutes"?

Time at 1G acceleration to travel 100000 light years

Why should the equality of mixed partials be "intuitively obvious"?

Manager wants to hire me; HR does not. How to proceed?

Redirecting output only on a successful command call

Co-worker is now managing my team. Does this mean that I'm being demoted?

Print the phrase "And she said, 'But that's his.'" using only the alphabet

Does anyone recognize these rockets, and their location?

How to avoid offending original culture when making conculture inspired from original

Having some issue with notation in a Hilbert space

How can Caller ID be faked?

How did Avada Kedavra get its name?

What could be the physiological mechanism for a biological Geiger counter?

Are their examples of rowers who also fought?

Massive Murderous Destruction (also Manportable)Are there any real world examples of where a desert and a swamp meet each other?How I explain New France not having their Middle East?How practical would a zombie horde actually be in medieval settingexpert (early) musketmen vs expert archers, who wins?Infantry weapons, or why are there people running around down there anyway?Reality check: Buddhist AztecsWhat other technology exists that are safer and simpler then cellular wavelength communication?Finding real world historic examples of cultures/organizations/tribes to represent ElvesWhat are some real world examples of mental impairment i can use for my magic system?

4

$begingroup$

In my world I plan to have a naval army with boats that are driven by manpower. The rowers are not slaves but are also soldiers. However, I am struggling to find examples of times in history where someone whose job it was to row a boat would also wear armor, march on land, and fight in battles.

Can you provide examples of armies or campaigns that had boats rowed by men who also marched on land and fought in battles?

reality-check military history

share|improve this question

asked 8 hours ago

MuuskiMuuski

85359

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  The Great Heathen Army comes to mind.
  $endgroup$
  – AlexP
  6 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

4

$begingroup$

In my world I plan to have a naval army with boats that are driven by manpower. The rowers are not slaves but are also soldiers. However, I am struggling to find examples of times in history where someone whose job it was to row a boat would also wear armor, march on land, and fight in battles.

Can you provide examples of armies or campaigns that had boats rowed by men who also marched on land and fought in battles?

reality-check military history

share|improve this question

asked 8 hours ago

MuuskiMuuski

85359

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  The Great Heathen Army comes to mind.
  $endgroup$
  – AlexP
  6 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

In my world I plan to have a naval army with boats that are driven by manpower. The rowers are not slaves but are also soldiers. However, I am struggling to find examples of times in history where someone whose job it was to row a boat would also wear armor, march on land, and fight in battles.

Can you provide examples of armies or campaigns that had boats rowed by men who also marched on land and fought in battles?

reality-check military history

share|improve this question

asked 8 hours ago

MuuskiMuuski

85359

$endgroup$

share|improve this question

asked 8 hours ago

MuuskiMuuski

85359

share|improve this question

asked 8 hours ago

MuuskiMuuski

85359

asked 8 hours ago

MuuskiMuuski

85359

asked 8 hours ago

MuuskiMuuski

85359

3 Answers
3

active

oldest

votes

11

$begingroup$

Vikings!

If the Vikings had to row, everyone on the longship took their turn at an oar (though they sailed any time they could, because who wouldn't?) -- and when they went ashore to fight, everyone in the crew had a shield and weapon and armor comparable to what everyone else was wearing at the time -- helmet and hauberk, at a minimum.

Seems to have worked pretty well -- they raided and colonized successfully over a range from modern Belarus to Greenland and even Newfoundland, all of Europe accessible from the Atlantic, Baltic, and North Sea, and even (I've read) into the Mediterranean. It was a model that worked for them for almost four hundred years.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon

5,751930

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  I'm not sure everyone had a hauberk, though. A helmet and a shield - most certainly. As for rowing, the way the drakkars were built was a huge factor too. As far as I remember, a clinker-built ship (Baltic sea style) is lighter then a carvel-built ship (Mediterranean sea style) of similar size. Clinker-built ships in general, as well as the ways that were used, are pretty cool.
  $endgroup$
  – Cumehtar
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

5

$begingroup$

I found this all very surprising, the majority of the ancient world relied on free men as rowers of their ships. They'd also fight on rare occasions, but were considered very valuable since rowing the big ships with lots and lots of oars was a skill.

And, since ramming was a significant part of their tactics, the oarsmen fought from below decks propelling the boat.

The idea seemed to be given the number of men employed as rowers on a boat, that if slaves were used then you were handing them the means of escape.

Most ships were merchants moving cargo from port to port. Their owners wouldn't want the ship to just sail away when slaves revolted and killed the crew. Similar circumstances for warships, you don't want divided loyalty on your oars.

It was apparently later in history that slaves and convicts were used to man galleys.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

EDLEDL

1,64128

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Sea-going cargo ships rarely used oars. To put it otherwise, oar-propelled ships were generally men'o'war, and even those travelled under sail when not actually in battle. Humans make very inefficient engines. But +1 for the elementary observation that for the entire duration of the classical world since the Greco-Persian wars to Arab sieges of Constantinople naval galleys were rowed by high-paid free men.
  $endgroup$
  – AlexP
  6 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

2

$begingroup$

War canoes!

source

Depicted: a central African war canoe. War canoes were also used in North America and the Polynesias - in addition to paddles the Maoris also used sails on their giant canoes and used them to ram other canoes. I am 99% sure that anyone along on such an expedition would be expected to be able to perform all jobs.

I think these cultures all used paddles. Oars were definitely used in Europe and asia but I think they used paddles, not oars in the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa and Polynesia. It is a good question.

share|improve this answer

answered 4 hours ago

WillkWillk

126k30232525

$endgroup$

add a comment | 

Your Answer

StackExchange.ready(function() {
var channelOptions = {
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "579"
};
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
createEditor();
});
}
else {
createEditor();
}
});

function createEditor() {
StackExchange.prepareEditor({
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader: {
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
},
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
});


}
});

draft saved

draft discarded

Sign up or log in

StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});

Sign up using Google

Sign up using Facebook

Sign up using Email and Password

Post as a guest

Name

Email

Required, but never shown

StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fworldbuilding.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f148966%2fare-their-examples-of-rowers-who-also-fought%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);

Post as a guest

Name

Email

Required, but never shown

11

$begingroup$

Vikings!

If the Vikings had to row, everyone on the longship took their turn at an oar (though they sailed any time they could, because who wouldn't?) -- and when they went ashore to fight, everyone in the crew had a shield and weapon and armor comparable to what everyone else was wearing at the time -- helmet and hauberk, at a minimum.

Seems to have worked pretty well -- they raided and colonized successfully over a range from modern Belarus to Greenland and even Newfoundland, all of Europe accessible from the Atlantic, Baltic, and North Sea, and even (I've read) into the Mediterranean. It was a model that worked for them for almost four hundred years.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon

5,751930

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  I'm not sure everyone had a hauberk, though. A helmet and a shield - most certainly. As for rowing, the way the drakkars were built was a huge factor too. As far as I remember, a clinker-built ship (Baltic sea style) is lighter then a carvel-built ship (Mediterranean sea style) of similar size. Clinker-built ships in general, as well as the ways that were used, are pretty cool.
  $endgroup$
  – Cumehtar
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

11

$begingroup$

Vikings!

If the Vikings had to row, everyone on the longship took their turn at an oar (though they sailed any time they could, because who wouldn't?) -- and when they went ashore to fight, everyone in the crew had a shield and weapon and armor comparable to what everyone else was wearing at the time -- helmet and hauberk, at a minimum.

Seems to have worked pretty well -- they raided and colonized successfully over a range from modern Belarus to Greenland and even Newfoundland, all of Europe accessible from the Atlantic, Baltic, and North Sea, and even (I've read) into the Mediterranean. It was a model that worked for them for almost four hundred years.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon

5,751930

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  I'm not sure everyone had a hauberk, though. A helmet and a shield - most certainly. As for rowing, the way the drakkars were built was a huge factor too. As far as I remember, a clinker-built ship (Baltic sea style) is lighter then a carvel-built ship (Mediterranean sea style) of similar size. Clinker-built ships in general, as well as the ways that were used, are pretty cool.
  $endgroup$
  – Cumehtar
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

Vikings!

If the Vikings had to row, everyone on the longship took their turn at an oar (though they sailed any time they could, because who wouldn't?) -- and when they went ashore to fight, everyone in the crew had a shield and weapon and armor comparable to what everyone else was wearing at the time -- helmet and hauberk, at a minimum.

Seems to have worked pretty well -- they raided and colonized successfully over a range from modern Belarus to Greenland and even Newfoundland, all of Europe accessible from the Atlantic, Baltic, and North Sea, and even (I've read) into the Mediterranean. It was a model that worked for them for almost four hundred years.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon

5,751930

$endgroup$

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon

5,751930

answered 8 hours ago

Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon

5,751930

answered 8 hours ago

Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon

5,751930

5

$begingroup$

I found this all very surprising, the majority of the ancient world relied on free men as rowers of their ships. They'd also fight on rare occasions, but were considered very valuable since rowing the big ships with lots and lots of oars was a skill.

And, since ramming was a significant part of their tactics, the oarsmen fought from below decks propelling the boat.

The idea seemed to be given the number of men employed as rowers on a boat, that if slaves were used then you were handing them the means of escape.

Most ships were merchants moving cargo from port to port. Their owners wouldn't want the ship to just sail away when slaves revolted and killed the crew. Similar circumstances for warships, you don't want divided loyalty on your oars.

It was apparently later in history that slaves and convicts were used to man galleys.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

EDLEDL

1,64128

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Sea-going cargo ships rarely used oars. To put it otherwise, oar-propelled ships were generally men'o'war, and even those travelled under sail when not actually in battle. Humans make very inefficient engines. But +1 for the elementary observation that for the entire duration of the classical world since the Greco-Persian wars to Arab sieges of Constantinople naval galleys were rowed by high-paid free men.
  $endgroup$
  – AlexP
  6 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

5

$begingroup$

I found this all very surprising, the majority of the ancient world relied on free men as rowers of their ships. They'd also fight on rare occasions, but were considered very valuable since rowing the big ships with lots and lots of oars was a skill.

And, since ramming was a significant part of their tactics, the oarsmen fought from below decks propelling the boat.

The idea seemed to be given the number of men employed as rowers on a boat, that if slaves were used then you were handing them the means of escape.

Most ships were merchants moving cargo from port to port. Their owners wouldn't want the ship to just sail away when slaves revolted and killed the crew. Similar circumstances for warships, you don't want divided loyalty on your oars.

It was apparently later in history that slaves and convicts were used to man galleys.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

EDLEDL

1,64128

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Sea-going cargo ships rarely used oars. To put it otherwise, oar-propelled ships were generally men'o'war, and even those travelled under sail when not actually in battle. Humans make very inefficient engines. But +1 for the elementary observation that for the entire duration of the classical world since the Greco-Persian wars to Arab sieges of Constantinople naval galleys were rowed by high-paid free men.
  $endgroup$
  – AlexP
  6 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

I found this all very surprising, the majority of the ancient world relied on free men as rowers of their ships. They'd also fight on rare occasions, but were considered very valuable since rowing the big ships with lots and lots of oars was a skill.

And, since ramming was a significant part of their tactics, the oarsmen fought from below decks propelling the boat.

The idea seemed to be given the number of men employed as rowers on a boat, that if slaves were used then you were handing them the means of escape.

Most ships were merchants moving cargo from port to port. Their owners wouldn't want the ship to just sail away when slaves revolted and killed the crew. Similar circumstances for warships, you don't want divided loyalty on your oars.

It was apparently later in history that slaves and convicts were used to man galleys.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

EDLEDL

1,64128

$endgroup$

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

EDLEDL

1,64128

answered 7 hours ago

EDLEDL

1,64128

answered 7 hours ago

EDLEDL

1,64128

2

$begingroup$

War canoes!

source

Depicted: a central African war canoe. War canoes were also used in North America and the Polynesias - in addition to paddles the Maoris also used sails on their giant canoes and used them to ram other canoes. I am 99% sure that anyone along on such an expedition would be expected to be able to perform all jobs.

I think these cultures all used paddles. Oars were definitely used in Europe and asia but I think they used paddles, not oars in the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa and Polynesia. It is a good question.

share|improve this answer

answered 4 hours ago

WillkWillk

126k30232525

$endgroup$

add a comment | 

2

$begingroup$

War canoes!

source

Depicted: a central African war canoe. War canoes were also used in North America and the Polynesias - in addition to paddles the Maoris also used sails on their giant canoes and used them to ram other canoes. I am 99% sure that anyone along on such an expedition would be expected to be able to perform all jobs.

I think these cultures all used paddles. Oars were definitely used in Europe and asia but I think they used paddles, not oars in the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa and Polynesia. It is a good question.

share|improve this answer

answered 4 hours ago

WillkWillk

126k30232525

$endgroup$

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

War canoes!

source

Depicted: a central African war canoe. War canoes were also used in North America and the Polynesias - in addition to paddles the Maoris also used sails on their giant canoes and used them to ram other canoes. I am 99% sure that anyone along on such an expedition would be expected to be able to perform all jobs.

I think these cultures all used paddles. Oars were definitely used in Europe and asia but I think they used paddles, not oars in the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa and Polynesia. It is a good question.

share|improve this answer

answered 4 hours ago

WillkWillk

126k30232525

$endgroup$

share|improve this answer

answered 4 hours ago

WillkWillk

126k30232525

answered 4 hours ago

WillkWillk

126k30232525

answered 4 hours ago

WillkWillk

126k30232525