What is trirreme?

A trirreme is a type of ancient warship with three banks of oars used by the Greeks and Romans in naval warfare. The word "trirreme" comes from the Greek prefix "tri-" meaning three, and "remos" meaning oar. The vessel was approximately 120 feet in length, 20 feet in width and accommodated around 170 oarsmen on its three tiers. The ship also had a large sail which was used when the wind was favorable, but most of the time the vessel was propelled by the oars. The trirreme was a formidable warship with a ram on the prow for ramming other ships in combat. It was used by ancient powerful empires like Persia, Athens, Sparta, Carthage, and Rome during the classical period and was instrumental in several naval battles. The trirreme was eventually replaced by larger and more advanced ships in the Late Antiquity period.