absolutely necessary to have 120 ships. Trees were immediately cut down in
the forests, and the timber brought to the sea shore: and the whole fleet,
according to Polybius, was not only built, but perfectly equipped and ready
for sea, in two months from the time the trees were felled. Of the 120
vessels of which it was composed, 100 had five benches of rowers, and 20 of
them had three benches.

There was, however, another difficulty to be overcome. It was absolutely
necessary that the men, who were to navigate and fight these ships, should
possess some knowledge of their art; but it was in vain to expect that with
the Carthaginians, so powerful and watchful at sea, the Roman ships would
be permitted to cruise safely long enough to make them practised sailors
and fighters. To obviate this difficulty, they had recourse, according to
Polybius, to a singular but tolerably effectual mode. "While some men were
employed in building the galleys, others, assembling those who were to
serve in the fleet, instructed them in the use of the oar after the
following manner: they contrived benches on the shore in the same fashion
and order as they were to be in the galleys, and placing their seamen, with
their oars, in like manner on the benches, an officer, by signs with his
hand, instructed them how to dip their oars all at the same time, and how
to recover them out of the water. By this means they became acquainted with
the management of the oar; and as soon as the vessels were built and
equipped, they spent some time in practising on the water, what they had
learnt ashore."

The necessity of possessing a fleet adequate to cope with that of the
Carthaginians became more and more apparent; for though the Romans had
obtained possession of all the inland cities in Sicily, the Carthaginians
compensated for this by having the ascendancy by sea, and in the cities on
the coast. The Roman fleet was commanded by Cornelius Scipio, who put to