Olympias

ANCIENT GREEK TRIREME 'OLYMPIAS' IN HELLENIC NAVY (PRESENT TIMES)

Olympias is a reconstruction of an ancient Athenian trireme and an important example of experimental archaeology. It is also a commissioned ship in the Hellenic Navy of Greece, the only commissioned vessel of its kind in any of the world's navies.

Olympias was constructed from 1985 to 1987 by a shipbuilder in Piraeus. The bronze bow ram weighs 200 kg. It is a copy of an original ram now in the Piraeus archaeological museum. The ship was built from Douglas fir and Virginia oak. The keel is of iroko hardwood. In 1987 exercise crewed by 170 volunteer oarsmen and oarswomen. Olympias achieved a speed of 9 knots (17 km/h) and was able to perform 180 degree turns within one minute, in an arc no wider than two and a half (2.5) ship-lengths. These results, achieved with an inexperienced, mixed crew, suggest that ancient historians like Thucydides were not exaggerating about the capabilities of triremes. In 2004 she was used to transport the Olympic Flame ceremonially from the port of Keratsini to the main port of Piraeus, as the Olympic Torch Relay approached Athens for the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Name Olympias

Owner Hellenic Navy

Ordered 1985

Laid down July 27, 1987

Launched August 1987

Commissioned August 26, 1987

Homeport Palaio Faliro

Type Trireme

Displacement 47 tonnes

Length 36.9 m (121 ft 1 in)

Beam 5.5 m (18 ft 1 in)

Draught 1.25 m (4 ft 1 in)

Propulsion Two large square sails, 170 oarsmen

Speed Maximum (with oars) over 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph)

(Quote from Artur Louis Klimko)