The periplous (Greek: περίπλους) was a naval tactic of warships, which consisted of sailing around the enemy ship to attack it by the stern. It was more simplistic than the diekplous and could be avoided if a captain extended the line of its ships or kept its flank near the coast. Like the diekplous, the periplous was intended to take the flanks or sterns, the most vulnerable parts of the ships. The fastest fleet usually managed to execute the maneuver, but it was often difficult to get around the wings of the enemy fleet and reach the sterns of ships to ram.

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