The corvus had helped make boarding easier, but its deck footprint restricted ballistae and other projectile weapons. It also encouraged captains to think about delivering soldiers rather than using the ram to sink an opponent. At the Aegates, the Roman fleet fought without it and returned attention to coordinated rowing, manoeuvre, and impact. The choice shows how a fleet can change doctrine when a once-useful capability begins to constrain the fight it expects to face.
Notable Point · 18:01-22:16
Why Rome abandoned the corvus
Without the boarding bridge, Rome could emphasize rowing and ramming instead of letting a deck-mounted weapon dictate its tactics.