The Worst Job in History - How History Works #shorts

These men had possibly the worst job in history.

Galley slaves were the men responsible for rowing warships before steam engines or reliable sails became common place. Ships often required hundreds of men packed into tight spaces doing hard labour for days at a time to propel the massive wooden warships across the ocean.

Early Greek rowers were mostly volunteer sailors but by the Middle Ages the job only done by prisoners of war and captures slaves.

The men were chained to their ores and not released until they returned to port. They would eat, sleep, work and go to the bathroom at their posts.

Disease in these conditions killed many of the rowers and those who didn’t succumb to illness would die in battle because their chains would drag them down with a sinking ship.

Regular galley slaves already had it rough but those who were unlucky enough to be stationed on the Ottoman Sultans ship were chained to their ores for life, even when the ship was at port they remained at their posts. Once they were chained to the ore, the only way they would get out was through death.

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#HowHistoryWorks #History #shorts

Video Created By: Arun Singh

Footage Courtesy of: Getty Images

Music Provided By: Epidemic Sound

[alansaxena]

damn the ottamans really had no chill when they chained you to that job for life

[dadquality]

Being used as a living engine. Cruelty at its peak.

[borisdorofeev]

Back in the Bronze Age ship speed wasn't measured in knots but in whips.

[davidn]

to think that my ancestors actually survived these times and am here alive, it is disrespectful to them for me to waste my life. I have to live as good as I can and for as long as I can✌.

[ricky]

it's all about perspective, if I'm ever having a rough day I just remember people have these type of fates, my life isn't so bad

[BlueLeon]

People need more history lessons on the cruelty of humanity's past. Things can always go back to that after a couple collapses. We should try and work this shit out.

[duanrossow]

We have no idea how privileged we are. The past had some heavy evils...

[LasalleTheGreat]

Fun fact, the Romans didn’t use galley slaves. They had the soldiers row until the were needed on deck

[Nothinggirl]

I came across this video randomly. I was trying to talk about this with my brother because I was trying to tell him as depressing as life is it could have been so much worse. I read about galley slaves many years ago and I was so horrified by it it never left my memory. But I couldn’t remember what they were called. Then this pops up. Still as horrifying. Thank you.

[grey_rocket]

The ultimate upper body workout. 100% arms 0% legs.
Edit: This is a joke.

[DR-mpgv]

This was the original Lifetime membership fitness gym 😳

[coctail]

It's crazy how a rower was pretty much a prestigious role until it wasent.

[colors]

Imagine rowing for days for no pay, shitting where you work, little to no sleep and overall horrible conditions just for the ship to be sunk by a cannonball and you drown because you where chained to a sinking ship you where forced to be on. Nightmare material.

[mrshadowcool]

Men always had it easy from the ancient times!
Men at ancient times:

[georgeofhamilton]

Some ancient peoples had no freakin’ chill.

[AM-mukv]

When they ask me why I switch employers so much
To flex on my ancestors

[carsonbealsey]

To think that people get offended by words now. Comfort has brought as much good as it has bad.

[cameronavon]

Royal Navy eventually figured out that a healthy crew was the best crew

[cegesh]

Weird calling slave labour a "job".

[_gold_eye_]

The funny thing is. If even one army started using non slaves during that period and paid their men well. Their ships would sail 3 times as fast. Because they actually were motivated to row well by something other than a whip.