Pompey made his name suppressing Cilician piracy that had grown from the maritime remnants of defeated Hellenistic kingdoms. Caesar's capture and later execution of his pirate captors shows how entrenched the threat remained in the late Republic. The pirate liburna gave its name to the Liburnians that became common in Principate regional fleets. With roughly a hundred crew, a ram, missile weapon, and fighting position, these compact biremes fit coastal and riverine security better than huge battle galleys.
Chapter · 30:13-31:58
From pirate craft to Roman patrol galley
Rome's campaigns against Cilician pirates lead into the Liburnian, a small and agile galley suited to imperial patrol work.