Drawing of a boat
((:navis))
| Description of Drawing (English) | boat |
|---|---|
| Findspot |
Smyrna, Basilica
(Agora.1)
|
| Drawing Category | Boats |
| Writing Style | charcoal |
| Bibliography | Bagnall, R. S. et al., Graffiti from the Basilica in the Agora of Smyrna (2016): 194. Pomey, P. 2006. “Les graffiti navals de l’agora. Etude preliminaire.” Anatolia Antiqua 14: 334–5, figs. 25–27. |
| Commentary | The ships in this bay have been previously published as Bay 15-T26 A, B, C in Pomey 2006: 334–5, figs. 25–27. Dipinto of a ship, located at the center of the back wall of Bay 15. The ship is sailing on port tack and is possibly a merchant vessel. The large and irregular mast is slightly off center toward the prow. The upper part of the graffito is largely faded: some lines near the mast could suggest the presence of a sail and the yard, but the streaks are too fragmentary for a conclusive interpretation. At the stern is visible one πηδάλιον partially submerged in the water. No other oars are drawn on the ship’s hull. The bulwark is decorated with a lattice motif, possibly indicating a parapet or sidescreen, suggesting the ship was of the cataphract or semi-cataphract type. Above it, a line indicates a deck that extends all the way to the stern, where the elevated seat for the helmsman is found. A line running along the hull, toward the middle of it, indicates the ship’s waterway. The area of the prow is mostly faded; the stern is rounded and terminates in an oblique ἄφλαστον that projects outside the ship. |
| Suggested Citation | AGP-SMYD00153, The Ancient Graffiti Project, <https://ancientgraffiti.org/Graffiti/graffito/AGP-SMYD00153> [accessed: 02 Apr 2025] |
| Contributions |
Editor: Roger S. Bagnall Principal Contributor: Roger S. Bagnall Last Revision: 2016-10-03 |
