Wall relief of Assyrian warships 700-692 BCE From Nineveh, South-West Palace. The ships were probably built and manned by Phoenicians employed by Sennacherib. A bireme is an ancient oared warship (galley) with two decks of oars, invented by the Phoenicians circa 800 BCE. Deck, passengers and palisade were above the rowers. The Phoenicians were among the most important naval civilizations in early Antiquity. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550 to 300 BCE. Galleys fought in the wars of Assyria, ancient Phoenicia, Greece, Carthage and Rome until the 4th century AD. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire galleys formed the mainstay of the Byzantine navy and other navies of successors of the Roman Empire, as well as new Muslim navies.