History glossary
corvus
a Roman boarding device used in the First Punic War to turn naval encounters into infantry combat.
- Category
- Military technology
- Region
- Roman Republic
- Date range
- First Punic War
What it means
The corvus was a hinged boarding bridge fitted to some early Roman warships during the First Punic War. It allowed Roman crews to grapple enemy ships and send soldiers across, reducing Carthage's advantage in seamanship by making naval combat more like a land battle.
