The Romans did not consider themselves a seafaring people; when they went to sea it was out of necessity and not desire.For the Romans, the sea was an adversary to be tamed and a source of immorality that threatened their terrestrial way of life.And yet, adaptability and ingenuity in maritime matters propelled the Romans to attain total control of the Mediterranean, which in turn brought about unprecedented achievements in the scale of commerce, size of ships, diversity of cargoes, complexity of harbors, and intensity with which marine resources were procured.