Glossary · Term

Galley

Also known as galleys

A galley is a warship propelled mainly by oars, dominant in Mediterranean warfare for centuries. The Portuguese Empire's ocean-going sailing ships carrying heavy artillery gave it a decisive advantage in the Indian Ocean against opponents who relied on oar-powered galleys poorly suited to open-ocean conditions.

Mentioned in 14 profiles

Spanish EmpireMilitary Regency of AlgiersMilitary Republic of VeniceSocioeconomy, Military Papal StatesMilitary Republic of GenoaMilitary, Decline Kingdom of SicilyMilitary Principality of CataloniaMilitary Crown of AragonMilitary Crown of CastileMilitary Kingdom of NaplesMilitary Habsburg SpainMilitary Grand Duchy of TuscanyMilitary Later Le dynastyMilitary Aceh SultanateMilitary

Mentioned in 7 state histories

Kingdom of the Isles Venetian Modon and Coron Iar Connacht Ternate Sultanate Hospitaller Rhodes Venetian Negroponte Hospitaller Tripoli

See also

Cite this entry

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Galley. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/galley
MLA: “Galley.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/galley. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Galley.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/galley.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Galley’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/galley (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻