Explanation: The trireme was no run-of-the-mill ship. It was one of the most effective warships of the ancient world and the Greeks perfected this design 2,500 years ago. The design of the trireme was su superior and it made the Greeks the deadliest force on the seas. With a standard length of around 118 feet, standing 21 feet high and just 12 feet wide, it was a sleek, fast war machine. It was a ramming ship, equivalent to the modern-day torpedo as it had a copper ram that would punch holes in enemy ships and sink them. To be effective though, it needed speed and it accomplished this by having 170 rowers, 85 a side. These were split into three levels, one above the other. This is why it's called a trireme which means "triple rowed." The best example to show the effectiveness of the trireme can be found at the Battle of Salamis. The Greek ships were outnumbered by their Persian enemies up to three to one, and they would have surely lost if it wasn't for the power of the awesome trireme.The Greeks won the battle and the war and many people see this as the first victory of democracy over tyranny. It led to a period of Greek cultural growth and the principles of Western society were formed.