The Miserable Galley Slaves — One of the Worst Ways of Slow and Painful Death

Death was salvation for the slaves rowing the galleys

Galley slaves rowing (Image: Twitter/@GandalftheWhi19)

Until the invention of the coal-fired steam engine in the 19th century, the only way to propel ships at sea was by oars or the wind.

The rowing of large ships required lots of men.

The ships which relied primarily on the rowing as the means of propulsion were called galleys.

The galleys originated in the second millennium BC and were used until the early 19th century.

The 16th century was a golden age of war galleys

The legendary Battle of Lepanto in 1571 was fought using war galleys (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

For most of history, the rowers were either soldiers or professionals.

However, the 16th century saw a dramatic increase in the size and the number of the galleys.

It was also the time of the largest sea battles involving war galleys. The Battle of Lepanto in 1571 was one such case.

The legendary Battle of Lepanto in 1571 between the Spanish and Ottoman navies was…