Rhodian Navy

After Alexander the Great defeated the Persian Empire in 330 BCE, the Rhodian Navy expanded and developed into a formidable Sea Power between 323-46 BCE, known as the Golden Age of Rhodes. but was finally bankrupted by the Roman Empire.
The Navy operated from a dedicated military harbour with shipyards and a dockyard next to the city of Rhodes on the Island of Rhodes.

The Rhodian Navy consisted of between 30-40 warships, organised on a 3 ship unit, under an Archon.
It was based first on the Quadrireme, and then on the Trihemiolia, operating from a well defended Naval Base in the Harbour of Rhodes.
Its Role was to suppress Piracy.

The Rhodian Navy was paid for by the Portoria tax. This consisted of an Import and Export Tax of 2% on Merchandise passing through its Ports.

It was the only all year round Professional Navy, until the advent of the Roman Empire (27BCE-476 CE).

The Death sentence was passed on any trespassers entering the Naval Arsenal of Rhodes. (1,000 years later, the Republic of Venice enacted the exact same policy in its Naval Arsenal.)

The Rhodian Sea Law was a collection of maritime laws regulating commerce at sea and still forms the basis of International Sea Law today.

The Parallel of Rhodes was one of the main 33 Parallels of Latitude mentioned in Ptolemy's Geographia (c.150 CE).

Battle of Chios (201 BCE) This was an unsuccessful attempt by Philip of Macedon to eliminate the Rhodian Navy.

When the Island of Delos was declared by Rome to be a Freeport in 166 BCE, the Rhodian Harbour Revenues (2% of cargo value) collapsed from 1,000,000 Rhodian Drachmas to 150,000, forcing Rhodes to join Rome as an Ally.
As Rhodes declined, the Pirates of Cilicia replaced them as a Naval Power. The Pirates were finally crushed by a Roman Naval force under Pompey in 66 BCE.
The Rhodian Navy was abolished in 46 BCE, although they kept a few Trihemiolias as Ceremonial State Vessels.

Mandraki Harbour, Rhodes