The Roman fleet had a mixture of quinqueremes quadriremes and triremes. There were a few hexaremes (six) which were flagships. The- Romans also used the liburnians and the hemiolia, smaller, swift vessels used for scouting and for troop transport. They were originally pirate ships.

The triremes were 37 m long and 6 m wide. There had three rows of oars with 30 oars each; 90 oars per side and 180 in total. Each oar was manned by one oarsman. The quinqueremes also has three rows of oars per side, but the oars were manned by two oarsmen in the top and middle rows and one man in the bottom one (2-2-1, or 60-60-30). The total number of oarsmen was 300. The triremes found it hard to ram the heavier and stronger quinqueremes. The latter were also wider and could carry more marines than the latter 100 v. 40). The quadriremes had two rows of oars and the oars were manned by two men. It was lower than a quinquereme, but had the same width and could carry 70 marines. It was more manoeuvrable. Its shallow draught was ideal for coastal operations. The oars arrangement of the hexaremes in uncertain. They probably had three rows per side and with oars manned by three oarsmen. Their height was probably similar to that of the quinqueremes. It was reported that they also had towers. These ships had either two large saisl or a sail and a foresail.

When Rome gained control over the Mediterranean and the naval battles of the Roman civil wars were over, the task of the Roman navy became patrolling, escorting merchant ships and chasing pirates. The bulk of the fleets became the triremes and the liburnians.

The liburnians had one row of oars on each side, one mast, one sail and prow twisted outwards with a rostrum underneath it to ram enemy ships. It was 25/30 metres long, 4.75 metres wide and had 25/50 rowers per side

The hemiolia had two separated half rows of oars on each side. It was, 15/20 metres long, 4 metres wide and had 15 rowers per side.