The trireme was a long, light, and maneuverable war vessel with three banks of oars (a total of 170 oarsmen).
It was the most advanced, and therefore dominant warship in the 5th century BCE, and instrumental in the formation of the Athenian hegemony of the Greek world.
During classical naval warfare, the entire ship was a missile. In battle, foes maneuvered at sea with the goal of ramming and rupturing the joints of the enemy ship, either sinking it or disabling it.
Anyone who has played Assassin’s Creed Odyssey by Ubisoft would have engaged in such battle during the some of the missions.
The ram was the pointed prow of the trireme, and consisted of a strong wooden structure, a sort of projection of the keel, covered with bronze. Originally it took the form of a boar, and later – from the Classical period onwards – that of a trident.
The eyes inlaid either side of the prow were associated with the perception of the ship as a living being.

“The main war ship of the Athenians, prevailed due to her naval merits. She was a light and fast rowing ship with a powerful ram. She was rowed by 170 oarsmen who were never chained slaves but free and proud Greeks. They were divided up into three ranks, which corresponded to three levels. Her flat bottom gave her instability as well as flexibility, so that she could move easily in shallow waters”. Maritime Museum, Chania, Greece.