AphlastonThe high upcurving stern of Greek oared warships.
The Aphlaston: The Heart and Soul of an Ancient Warship By Timothy M. Ryan Naval warfare played a vital role in the development of
many ancient empires and city-states from as early as the 12th
century BC. Athens owed much of its
dominance in the 5th century BC to its supreme naval force, and many
empires prospered and declined dependent upon this military division. Carthage, for example, was a mighty
Mediterranean empire for over 500 years which thrived thanks to its famed naval
warships from the 8th to the 3rd centuries BC. It would eventually take an ambitious Roman
Republic to build and ultimately overthrow this naval superpower with their own
army of warships in the early 2nd century BC. The importance
of naval operations in the ancient world led to many representations on
coinage. One naval symbol appears often
on these types: the Aphlaston. The
Aphlaston, or Aplustre, was a component of the ancient warship that was understood
as an abstract form of a bird with multiple beaks facing inward from the stern. This high fan shaped ornament of carved and
decorated wood appeared first in its developed form in the 5th
century BC. The bird’s eye was usually
enlarged which created a shield like appearance at the base of the symbol (See
Image 1). A flag pole was attached to
the side of it which showed the helmsman the exact direction of the wind. When the galleys surged into war, the sails
were always drawn in, leaving the prominent aphlaston as a dominant feature of
the craft. It became the hallmark of the
warships in the Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods. The symbol was understood to have magical
powers in its ability to protect or guard the ship. Image 1: The Aphlaston appears as an overpowering
symbol on the reverse of this bronze hemilitron from Lipara, an island near
Sicily, struck circa 425 BC. Image
courtesy of CNG. The origin
of the Aphlaston is uncertain, but a primitive form of this symbol appears on
ships of the “Sea Peoples”, a seafaring confederacy of raiders from as early as
the second millennium BC. Homer even
made references to this powerful symbol in Book 18 of the Iliad: “As the men fought on like a blazing fire raging, The impact that the Aphlaston made on sailors must have
been profound. It was regarded as a
shrine that guided the ship, and is often portrayed on coins as looming over
the helmsman of a warship, as if to envelope him in its protective aura (See
Image 2). The multiple beaks often seen
clearly indicate an attempt to strengthen the protective
magic of this idol by multiplying this component. Image
2: The Aphlaston can be seen here on the left side of this quinqereme which
appears to envelop and guard the helmsman struck on an AE 24 during the reign
of Septimius Severus, 193-211 AD. Image courtesy of CNG. During the ancient period, spoils of war which were revered
and gazed upon with immense pride were the captured aphlasta of enemy
warships. This symbol was always highly
sought and in turn fiercely defended to the death by the defending sailors. Phormio, the son of Asopius, was an Athenian
general during the Peloponnesian War who guided his naval fleet to several victories
in 428 BC. It is reported that he
captured 18 aphlasta during one naval battle which was celebrated at Athens
with a glorious procession where the spoils were displayed in a victory parade
preceded by the valiant men who partook in that victory. Let’s take a further look at the use and
depiction of the aphlaston on coinage throughout ancient history. Hannibal Barca was a Carthaginian general during the Punic
Wars who occupied southern Italy during the second Punic War in 209 BC. In commemoration of his recent victories we
see a prominent aphlasta being presented by Phalantos on a half shekel struck
in occupied Tarentum, a colony in southern Italy, circa 212-209 BC. (See Image
3). Image
3: This AR reduced nomos Half Shekel was
struck during Hannibal’s occupation of Calabria, Tarentum in southern Italy
Circa 212-209 BC. Image courtesy of CNG. Cassius Longinus was a Roman senator and general who
co-conspired with Brutus to assassinate Julius Caesar in 44 BC. After the assassination, Longinus led a
campaign in the east to gather support against Marc Antony and Octavian, the
successors to Caesar. To help finance
his campaign he issued an aureus in 42 BC which commemorates the capture of
Rhodes in which he seized eight thousand talents from their treasury and was
subsequently hailed king by the captured Rhodians (See Image 4). This type clearly depicts a captured
aphlaston with floreate endings which allude to the rose, the civic emblem of
Rhodes. Soon after this type was issued
Longinus and Brutus met their demise the same year after being defeated at the
Battle of Philippi. Image
4: This aureus was struck in the summer
of 42 BC. By Cassius Longinus, and would prove to be his final issue as he soon
met his fate against Octavian and Antony at the Battle of Philippi. Image courtesy of CNG. Lastly, let’s examine a silver drachm struck during the
reign of Augustus from 27-20 BC. (See Image 5).
It’s believed that during the early Imperial period the aphlaston was
often associated with the naval defeat of Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of
Actium in 31 BC. This type supports that
claim with the depiction of an aphlaston on the reverse to the left of the
cithara, struck just four years after this pivotal battle in Roman history. Image 5: This
silver drachm was struck under the Lycian league in Masicytes under the control
of Augustus from 27-20 BC. Image
courtesy of CNG. The aphlaston has been heavily used on coin types throughout
ancient history as an illustration of naval dominance and even
guardianship. This crucial component of
the warship would be respected and defended for centuries as it was often
treated as the “heart and soul” of a naval vessel. Bibliography: Wachsmann, Shelley and Bass, George. Seagoing Ships and Seamanship in the Bronze Age
Levant. Page 190. Homer. Iliad Book 18. Creasy, Edward Shephard. The
old love and the new. Page 182. Kokkinos, Nikkos, Jacobson, David M.
Herod and Augustus: papers presented at the IJS conference, 21st-23rd
June 2005. Page 120. |
The Aphlaston: The Heart and Soul of an Ancient Warship
By
Timothy
M. Ryan Naval warfare played a vital role in the development of
many ancient empires and city-states from as early as the 12th
century BC. Athens owed much of its
dominance in the 5th century BC to its supreme naval force, and many
empires prospered and declined dependent upon this military division. Carthage, for example, was a mighty
Mediterranean empire for over 500 years which thrived thanks to its famed naval
warships from the 8th to the 3rd centuries BC. It would eventually take an ambitious Roman
Republic to build and ultimately overthrow this naval superpower with their own
army of warships in the early 2nd century BC. The importance
of naval operations in the ancient world led to many representations on
coinage. One naval symbol appears often
on these types: the Aphlaston. The
Aphlaston, or Aplustre, was a component of the ancient warship that was understood
as an abstract form of a bird with multiple beaks facing inward from the stern. This high fan shaped ornament of carved and
decorated wood appeared first in its developed form in the 5th
century BC. The bird’s eye was usually
enlarged which created a shield like appearance at the base of the symbol (See
Image 1). A flag pole was attached to
the side of it which showed the helmsman the exact direction of the wind. When the galleys surged into war, the sails
were always drawn in, leaving the prominent aphlaston as a dominant feature of
the craft. It became the hallmark of the
warships in the Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods. The symbol was understood to have magical
powers in its ability to protect or guard the ship. Image 1: The Aphlaston appears as an overpowering
symbol on the reverse of this bronze hemilitron from Lipara, an island near
Sicily, struck circa 425 BC. Image
courtesy of CNG. The origin
of the Aphlaston is uncertain, but a primitive form of this symbol appears on
ships of the “Sea Peoples”, a seafaring confederacy of raiders from as early as
the second millennium BC. Homer even
made references to this powerful symbol in Book 18 of the Iliad: “As the men fought on like a blazing fire raging, The impact that the Aphlaston made on sailors must have
been profound. It was regarded as a
shrine that guided the ship, and is often portrayed on coins as looming over
the helmsman of a warship, as if to envelope him in its protective aura (See
Image 2). The multiple beaks often seen
clearly indicate an attempt to strengthen the protective
magic of this idol by multiplying this component. Image
2: The Aphlaston can be seen here on the left side of this quinqereme which
appears to envelop and guard the helmsman struck on an AE 24 during the reign
of Septimius Severus, 193-211 AD. Image courtesy of CNG. During the ancient period, spoils of war which were revered
and gazed upon with immense pride were the captured aphlasta of enemy
warships. This symbol was always highly
sought and in turn fiercely defended to the death by the defending sailors. Phormio, the son of Asopius, was an Athenian
general during the Peloponnesian War who guided his naval fleet to several victories
in 428 BC. It is reported that he
captured 18 aphlasta during one naval battle which was celebrated at Athens
with a glorious procession where the spoils were displayed in a victory parade
preceded by the valiant men who partook in that victory. Let’s take a further look at the use and
depiction of the aphlaston on coinage throughout ancient history. Hannibal Barca was a Carthaginian general during the Punic Wars who occupied southern Italy during the second Punic War in 209 BC. In commemoration of his recent victories we see a prominent aphlasta being presented by Phalantos on a half shekel struck in occupied Tarentum, a colony in southern Italy, circa 212-209 BC. (See Image 3). Image
3: This AR reduced nomos Half Shekel was
struck during Hannibal’s occupation of Calabria, Tarentum in southern Italy
Circa 212-209 BC. Image courtesy of CNG. Cassius Longinus was a Roman senator and general who co-conspired with Brutus to assassinate Julius Caesar in 44 BC. After the assassination, Longinus led a campaign in the east to gather support against Marc Antony and Octavian, the successors to Caesar. To help finance his campaign he issued an aureus in 42 BC which commemorates the capture of Rhodes in which he seized eight thousand talents from their treasury and was subsequently hailed king by the captured Rhodians (See Image 4). This type clearly depicts a captured aphlaston with floreate endings which allude to the rose, the civic emblem of Rhodes. Soon after this type was issued Longinus and Brutus met their demise the same year after being defeated at the Battle of Philippi. Image
4: This aureus was struck in the summer
of 42 BC. By Cassius Longinus, and would prove to be his final issue as he soon
met his fate against Octavian and Antony at the Battle of Philippi. Image courtesy of CNG. Lastly, let’s examine a silver drachm struck during the reign of Augustus from 27-20 BC. (See Image 5). It’s believed that during the early Imperial period the aphlaston was often associated with the naval defeat of Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. This type supports that claim with the depiction of an aphlaston on the reverse to the left of the cithara, struck just four years after this pivotal battle in Roman history. Image 5: This
silver drachm was struck under the Lycian league in Masicytes under the control
of Augustus from 27-20 BC. Image
courtesy of CNG. The aphlaston has been heavily used on coin types throughout
ancient history as an illustration of naval dominance and even
guardianship. This crucial component of
the warship would be respected and defended for centuries as it was often
treated as the “heart and soul” of a naval vessel. Bibliography: Wachsmann, Shelley and Bass, George. Seagoing Ships and Seamanship in the Bronze Age
Levant. Page 190. Homer. Iliad Book 18. Creasy, Edward Shephard. The
old love and the new. Page 182. Kokkinos, Nikkos, Jacobson, David M.
Herod and Augustus: papers presented at the IJS conference, 21st-23rd
June 2005. Page 120. |