Triremes were dominant war vessels in the ancient world, which were renowned for their speed, agility, and sheer power. These ships were the pride of the naval supremacy of Greece and Rome, with over 170 oarsmen on-board, maneuvering to glorify their respective empires. Synonyms for Triremes include "trihemiolia," a smaller and swifter version of trireme, "polyeremos," a more heavily armed version, and "tetreres," a four-banked galley used before triremes. All these synonyms share common characteristics with a trireme, although they may have slight variations. However, they all have the same purpose, to dominate the naval battles of their time.