in the naval architecture of the ancients, a word used to express such of their galleys as had three, four, five, or more tiers of benches, seated at different heights. They were distinguished by this term from the monocrota, or those which had only single rows of oars. The number of rows of benches in the polycrote galleys has given occasion to some to suppose that those vessels were of such a height above the water as is scarcely credible. Commentators, however, are not at all agreed as to the construction of these vessels.