| Show ALL SOUGHT POWER ON SEA ancient nations recognized what it meant to be supreme on the ocean the were ere the first to i make lone long voyages and the first to arm their vessels for war they readily availed themselves of 0 the advantages of 0 a marine and thereby soon secured an extensive commerce in time they assumed the empire of the sea a sovereignty they long continued to enjoy during which time they became tyrants tz ut the sea and exercised piracy they nere ere the first sea pirates known to history after the phoenicians Phoenicia ns the and then the assumed domin ion ton of the sea during various epochs but it remained for the inhabitants of the island of rhodes to create digest and promulgate the first system of 0 maritime laws of which we have any tiny authentic knowledge so great was vas the success they attained their code has always been referred to us as the he cradle of maritime law 11 nevertie Ne less as far back as the reign of king hammurabi who was a contemporary of abraham 2250 years before carst we find in the code of hammurabi nu berous merou sections which fix the file obliga eions arising under contracts tor for boat building hire or charter of kersels ver sels transportation of goods tw for biro 3 col li etc and tue the principles there laid down are in many instances rec ree at the present time as the rule of decision the persian persians and then the greeks in turn succeeded the Rhod lans laus as wasters of the sea these two countries maintained large fleets of aar ar vessels called by the ancients as a uasa vessels yewel of force as distinguished from their merchantmen or ships of burt burthen ben the great naval battle of salamis Sala fought by these countries in which it Is said over fit to tn toen en hundred vessels took part fol lowed by that of and macale demonstrated to the greeks with tho the success ot of arnia arms the immeasurable value of sea power they lost no time and spared no efforts in the crea lion of a still greater navy and adopted measures they deemed judicious in im furthering the interests Inte of their mer iner chant marine among other things hey they established a special jurisdiction at athenia to pass upon maritime transactions |
