Roman mobilisation and repeated fleet rebuilding

The republic's military service, infrastructure, economy, and political structure supported an unusually intensive war. The ten years of service expected on the political career ladder suggest that military organisations persisted beyond one campaigning season. Rome could concentrate logistics and manpower where it wanted to fight. Rome may have built more than a thousand ships during the conflict, particularly given repeated fleet reconstruction after storm losses. Some ships were probably built with inferior timber because establishing a reliable wood supply took time. Sustaining naval power depended on rebuilding capacity as well as the forces initially available.