Syracusia

[5] Of particular interest in the discussion of the construction of the ship is the detailed description of the efforts taken to protect the hull from biofouling, including coating it with horsehair and pitch.

[7] Her innovative design and sheer size allowed for the creation of various recreational spaces aboard, including a garden and an indoor bath room with hot water.

[1][2] According to Athenaeus, the ship was beautifully decorated using materials such as ivory and marble, while all public spaces were floored with mosaics depicting the entire story of the Iliad.

[citation needed] He ordered the construction of a huge warship, the Tessarakonteres: 420 feet long, and bearing more than 4,000 oarsmen and 2,850 soldiers.

[11][12] British classical scholar Armand D'Angour has argued that the construction of the Syracusia by Archimedes at the behest of Hieron II underlies the story told by Vitruvius that Hieron asked Archimedes to assess the metal content of a fabricated gold crown, leading to the latter's discovery of the buoyancy principle associated with his name.