The development of the oar-powered ram in the ancient world led to a corresponding effort to strengthen the hulls of ships to resist being crushed. Naval architects had to balance the desire for speed, which increased the effect of a ramming attack, and the desire for hull strength, which increased ship survivability. At the great naval battle at Salamis, the smaller and swifter Greek ships gained a decisive advantage against the larger and stronger Persian and Phoenician ships in the narrow strait. In more open water, the much larger Persian fleet may have reversed the outcome.