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The Roman navy (, lit.

" fleet ") comprised the naval forces of the Ancient Roman state.

The navy was instrumental in the Roman conquest of the Mediterranean basin, though it never enjoyed the prestige of the Roman legions.

Throughout their history, the Romans remained a primarily land-based people, and relied partially on their more nautically inclined subjects, such as the Greeks and the Egyptians, to build and man their ships.

Partly because of this, the navy was never wholly embraced by the Roman state, and deemed somewhat " un-Roman ".

In Antiquity, navies and trading fleets did not have the logistical autonomy that modern ships and fleets possess.

Unlike modern naval forces, the Roman navy even at its height never existed as an autonomous service, but operated as an adjunct to the Roman army.