Liburnian

The Liburnian was a decked Bireme Galley from the coast of Liburnia (modern Croatia).
It became the standard War Galley in the Roman Navy during the Roman Empire.

Liburnia was the Land of the Liburnians, located in what is now Croatia, who spoke the Liburnian language, now extinct.
There are approximately one thousand islands of various sizes, off the coast of Croatia
The Liburnians were a piratical sea power who controlled these islands with a fleet of fast galleys.
These galleys were Biremes and they were known as Libernae after the Liburnians.

In 35 BCE Octavian suppressed the Province of Illyricum by land and sea. The Illyrians and Liburnians had been engaging in a renewed wave of Piracy, and Octavian decided to put an end it. Octavian captured the Pirate Fleet of Liburnians.
Illyricum eventually became the Roman Province of Dalmatia.

After capturing the entire Liburnian Fleet, Octavian used it very successfully against Cleopatra and Mark Anthony at the Battle of Actium on the 2nd September 31 BCE.
His Fleet of Liburnian Galleys successfully defeated the bigger Egyptian Quinqueremes of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra.

The original ‘Liburna’ resembled the Greek Penteconter with 25 oars per side in one bank.
The Romans modified it into a Bireme, and they were used with great effect during the Battle of Actium.
Although small in size, the Liburna’s speed and manoeuvrability helped it to defeat the Trireme, Quadrireme and Quinquereme in the enemy’s Fleet.
The Liburnian became the standard warship of the Provincial Fleets
The Fleet of Moesia Inferior based at Noviodunum consisted of Liburnians, some with Rams and some without Rams.
In 69 CE, Mucianus’ Black Sea Fleet also consisted of Liburnians.
In 102 CE, Trajan‘s Dacian Fleet consisted of Liburnians.

Banks of oars: 2
Length: 109 ft (33 m)
Width: 16 ft (5 m)
Draft: 3 ft (0.91 m)
Number of Oars 36: 18 per side in a double bank.
Speed: 7 knots under oars and 12 knots under sail.
Crew: Marines, Archers, Slingers.
Weapons: Catapult, Hand held Crossbows, Grappling Hooks and Grapnels.
Range: limited by the water supply it could carry. Each oarsman required about 8 litres per day.
Rams: some Liburnians were fitted with Rams, such as the Danube Fleet in Moesia Inferior.

According to Livy, Lucan and Appian, the Liburnian was a bireme vessel which was Cataphract, meaning it carried a full deck.
Tacitus and Suetonius referred to the ‘Liburna’ as a battleship.