In this way, applying lead-rich miltos paint mixed with pitch to the hull of a ship could inhibit biotic growth and prevent fouling. The high lead levels meant that the powder, once mixed into an organic medium, would make a very effective anti-fouling agent, preventing the growth of bacterial colonies on vessel hulls that could slow the ship down. Specifically, by the Classical period, miltos from Kea was prized in Athens due to its effectiveness in the maintenance of ships, protecting the hull from rot and infestation. Lts use is attested to in Mycenaean clay tablets, inscribed in the script known as "Linear Bº and dating from the 2nd millennium BCE. It played a vital role in waterproofing and ship maintenance due to its astringent, binding, and drying properties.
Miltos is a type of red fine-grained ochre made up of red iron- oxides often mixed with earth, sand, clay, wax, resin or other impurities, creating a reddish pitch. Red-figure stamnos with the scene of Odysseus and the sirens, the protective eye cleary visible on the trireme / 480-470 BCE (Classical Greece) Moreover, in the large workshops, one could assume that all the workers were assigned very narrowly-defined tasks. Helmets workshops could also produce greaves, but the cuirasses, especially the “muscle armors”, were manufactured by specific craftsmen. There were doryksoi [lance makers) and machairopoioi, who crafted swords or knives. The overall trend was super-specialization the sword makers, for example, were not the same as helmet or shield makers. By contrast, the metal workshops found in the sanctuary of Nemea are smaller, but they are not necessarily the more common scale. The Athenian metic Kephalos might have possessed such a weapons workshop, since it was said that he had 120 slaves working for him. For example, in Athens, on the slopes of the Akropolis, four giant 40-meter-long workshops dating back from 470-440 BCE have been excavated. They could be very large and employ more than fifty slaves. On the other hand, the largest workshops resembled factories.
The smallest workshops for local supply might have been comprised of only three workers: one smith, and two slaves to assist him. As with many other crafts, metalworking was exclusively practiced by men. Larger production units soon appeared, making metalworking one of the most lucrative crafts in Classical Greece - at least, it is assumed so by historians. By the second half of the óth century BCE, the development of armament workshops employing a few craftsmen or up to a few dozen slaves is quite noticeable. Metal workshops of different sizes coexisted in ancient Greece. In the center is a darker colored ship common among pirates, to the left a Spartan ship, and in the far left, the smaller and less streamlined ship is a fishing boat.ģD renders of the figureheads featured in Odyssey range from the proud griffin and Pegasos to the terrible hydra and medusa.įoundry scene from a red-figure cup showing artisans working / 490-480 BCE (Classical Greece) To the far right, the Athenian ship is clear, not just from its blue coloring but also the owl adorning its sail - the owl being the symbol of wisdom, associated with Athena, the protector goddess of Athens.
The color and animal based designs of the ships are also significant. Historical pop culture sources, including a visit to a life-size replica of a trireme, 3rd century BCE graffiti, depictions on vases and stone relief, and movies like Hercules, Jason and the Argonauts (1963) and many others, all served to inform the design team to create realistic and functional digital replicas of these classic ships. The development team created multiple ship models, covering the Trireme (with three rows of oars], the bireme (with two), merchant ships and other smaller boats. The Greeks have long been known as a naval powerhouse. Inspired by The Art of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, by Kate Lewis, with courtesy from Titan Books. Politics and Philosophy Sparta Social ClassesĪrt, Religion and Myths The Olympic Games