A trireme(/ˈtraɪriːm/ TRY-reem; derived from Latin: trirēmis "with three banks of oars"; cf. Greek triērēs, literally "three-rower") was an ancient vessel and a type of galley that was used by the ancient maritime civilizations of the Mediterranean Sea, especially the Phoenicians, ancient Greeks and Romans. Medieval and early modern galleys with three files of oarsmen per side are sometimes referred to as triremes.