What does quinquereme mean?
A quinquereme was an ancient warship propelled by five banks of oars, with two rowers positioned beside each bank. Its long, narrow hull allowed a large rowing force to work in coordinated fashion, making the vessel fast and formidable in Mediterranean warfare. Although Greek and Roman fleets used ships with several different arrangements of oars, the quinquereme became particularly associated with Rome. The word also survives in numismatics: Roman coins of certain denominations or issues bear an image of a quinquereme and are consequently called quinqueremes. Today, the term is uncommon outside histories of ancient naval warfare and coin collecting, but it remains useful because it identifies a specific vessel form rather than merely a large galley. Its five-bank arrangement distinguishes it from better-known types such as the two-banked bireme and the three-banked trireme.
nounAn ancient galley propelled by five banks of oars, with two oarsmen seated beside each bank. The term is also used for an ancient Roman coin depicting a vessel of this type.
- An ancient galley with five banks of oars.
- An ancient Roman coin bearing the image of a quinquereme.
"The museum's model of a Roman quinquereme shows how neatly the five tiers of oars could be arranged along a narrow hull."
"A quinquereme carried several hundred rowers in addition to its soldiers and sailors."
"The collector acquired a worn quinquereme coin from the period of the Roman Republic."
The standard plural is used for multiple vessels or multiple coins of the type.
"Archaeologists discovered the remains of several quinqueremes at the harbor."
A quinquereme turned coordinated manpower into speed, with five banks of oars driving a single narrow warship.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does quinquereme come from?
The English word comes through Latin quinqueremis, from quinque, meaning “five,” and remus, meaning “oar.” The Latin term was adopted from the ancient Greek quinquerēs, likewise formed from a numerical term for five and a word for an oar. English later adapted the Latin form into quinquereme, whose -e ending reflects its historical pronunciation. The same Latin root quinque also underlies words such as quinary, quincunx, and quinquennial.
How quinquereme is actually used
The term is chiefly historical and specialized. In numismatic contexts it refers to a coin type depicting the ship rather than to the vessel itself.
Easily confused with quinquereme
A trireme has three banks of oars, whereas a quinquereme has five.