ABSTRACT. The Byzantine warship called the dromōn is mentioned for the first time in the 6th century. Its equipment and the use of ‘Greek fire’ ensured its superiority for five centuries over the Russians and, in part, the Muslim fleets, if and when backed up by land troops. The dromon disappeared in the 12th century due to its inferiority with respect to Latin ‘bireme’ galleys.

RÉSUMÉ. Le navire de guerre byzantin, appelé dromōn, est cité pour la première fois au VIe siècle. Son équipement et l'usage du feu grégeois assurent pendant cinq siècles la supériorité maritime de Byzance, face aux Russes (Rôs) et en partie face aux flottes musulmanes, à condition d'être appuyé par des troupes terrestres. Le dromon disparaît au XIIe siècle, en raison de son infériorité face aux galères birêmes latines.

And they also had long ships [warships] prepared as for sea-fighting, to the number of ninety-two, and they were single-banked ships covered by decks [orophas] in order that the men rowing them might if possible not be exposed to the bolts of the enemy. Such ships are called dromōnes by those of the present time, for they are able to attain a great speed. In these sailed two thousand men of Byzantium, who were all rowers as well as fighting men [auteretai], for there was not a single superfluous man among them/in them.