The bronze ram converted galleys into individuals subject to linear-law duels

Evidence

Cast from the finest quality bronze forged in the best kilns of the day, rams permitted well-manned ships to smash into other ships, shattering their hulls and sinking them along with their crews. Because of rams, naval ships could be more than simple vessels. They could be weapons. Ships suddenly acted as units—individuals—and they confronted each other up close and one-on-one. Maritime battles began to resemble the clashes of ancient infantry, with ships lined up abreast in long rows, crashing into opposing lines of ships from another fleet. The battering ram caused naval warfare to fulfill the conditions of Lanchester’s linear law: ships fought other ships in close range duels. From this point onward, bigger was better and navies with the largest ships won. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 261

Categorization

• XREF: Key mechanistically to the reader’s goal: shows how the same duel formula governs both animal weapons and human naval arms races. — connects to: Lanchester’s duel logic applies to ships as well as to individual soldiers — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 260

Related

• Lanchester’s duel logic applies to ships as well as to individual soldiers (similarity 0.91)
• Weapons innovations trigger arms races in ships just as in animals (similarity 0.82)
• Ancient naval arms races ran to oversized, nonfunctional ships and collapsed (similarity 0.79)
• A single naval technology change triggered the first ancient ship arms race. (similarity 0.78)