navy, originally, all ships of a nation, whether for war or
commerce; the term navy now designates only such vessels as are
built and maintained specifically for war. There have been three
major developments in naval vessels. From ancient times to the
late 16th cent., navies consisted mostly of galleys; from the
late 16th to the late 19th cent., they consisted mostly of side-
gunned sailing vessels; and from 1865 until recently, they
consisted of steam warships. Currently, diesel-powered ships
dominate the world's navies, although many ships are nuclear-
powered. Navies began in the Mediterranean, with its access to
three continents and favorable climatic conditions. Although the
first recorded naval battle was c.1200 B.C. between the
Egyptians and the Sea People, ships were probably used to
transport and supply armies much earlier. Ancient warships
usually relied on ramming, although sometimes catapults were
used to fire missiles or incendiaries, and their crews fought as
infantry. Galleys dominated the Medite