Hellenistic Navy

History

The Navy was founded around 3000 BR, when Grecia started to branch out into other territories. King Kyriakos, one of Grecia’s earliest rulers, was the man who gained the loyalty of seventeen then wildly autonomous ships, and was able to establish the navy. The identities of the first captains in the Hellenistic Navy have mostly been lost to time, as records of that time were destroyed in the War of the Three Kings, although four names still persist throughout history: the ruthless pirate queen, Manda Kallili; the shrewd Mihail Valides, whose trading empire stretched from the lands now known as the Shieldlands all the way down to the Mestihe Jungle; the fiercely proud sailing captain Alekos Emyress, whose uncanny ability to read the sky and the stars had earned him the moniker the Sky Whisperer; and the charming Leonidas Siskou, who had earned the begrudging loyalty and respect of the other sailors, and to whom the other sixteen captains ultimately looked for confirmation regarding King Kyriakos’ proposal.
The Grecian navy have large sails, and many oars, which makes them fast and agile. The galley type vessels have three banks of oars and are called triremes. One trireme is around 115 ft. long. The Hellenistic Navy features about 400 triremes, prepared in case of a naval attack. To handle a trireme efficiently, at least 170 men are needed per trireme, with one man handling each oar. As such, the Grecian navy employs at least 68 000 sailors of differing ranks.
During wars, skilled seamen who know how to navigate the ships are used. Trained soldiers are brought aboard to defeat their enemies. The ships have state-of-the-weapons that help take down other ships.

Affiliations

The Hellenistic Navy is affiliated with independent mercenary ships who have chosen to become Grecia’s privateers, as well as trading vessels sailing under the Grecian banner. Grecian’s trading vessels trade with other harbour cities in other regions. They transport wine and olive oil, among other things. Their ships are built using some of the best materials sourced in Greece, since the produce they are transporting is quite valuable.
Over the course of time, the Hellenistic Navy has expanded to encompass over 400 ships directly under the command of the Admiralry, along with more associated privateer mercenary ships.

Structure

Admiralry. The Hellenistic Admiralry is a triumvirate in charge of the Hellenistic Navy. They are the ones to supervize the ships, they control the direction which the Navy takes, and they have the final say in what happens with any loot, rewards, prisoners, and anything else the Navy might come across during executing their duties. The Admiralry reports directly to the Council of Ten, though they see themselves as something of an independent branch of Grecia’s armed forces.
Captain. Captains are selected because they are respected. A captain needs to be capable of commanding and navigating a ship. Also, it is recommended that captain has courage and skill in both sword and pistol fighting. The captain has absolute control only in a battle. In everyday life, many of the orders the captain gives are the orders he receives from the Admiralry.
First mate. The first mate is the rank just below the captain. After the captain, the most authority on a pirate ship is the first mate. As a captain's right hand, he was in charge when captain was not around. He had the authority, and he could punish men for not obeying commands. He would take control of the ship if the Captain could not perform his duties any longer.
Quartermaster. Quartermaster is in charge of food and water supplies, as well as distributing weapons and any rewards that might be found at sea.
Sailing master. Sailing masters are officers in charge of navigation and piloting. It is a fairly taxing job because charts aren’t always accurate. Education is required for the post, and it is a well-paid job. If a Grecian ship was to be captured by rogue pirates, sailing masters are often forced to join the pirate crews, as their expertise is quite valued.
Gunner. Gunners are leaders of small man groups, who operate on the artillery. They watched for the safety of their man and usually aimed the cannons themselves. Just for one canon to operate efficiently, four to six men are required to aim, fire, reset, swab and load. It is anything but an easy job. Since coordination with other gunners is required, to prevent commotion and random fire, usually the most experienced gunner is given the post of master gunner. He is the one who is giving orders when the captain is not around.
Boatswain. Boatswains are junior officers. They are the people who supervize all activities on a ship. Depending on the size of the ship and crew, they could have one or several duties. Duties range from anchoring to naval provisions. They reported to the captain or the first mate.
Surgeons. All ships in the Hellenistic Navy are required to have a trained surgeon aboard. Surgeons are expected to help the crew with diseases and wounds. Without proper medicines, every wound can become a source of infection.
Cooks. Though not officially a post, almost all ships in the navy nominate a crewmember that shows potential in cooking, who is then in charge of the food.

Type

Military, Navy

Location

Grecia