The name “forty” refers not to the number of oars, but to the number of rowers on each vertical “column” of oars that propelled it
What the hell, 40 per column, just how many rowers did it have all together?!
Edit: Wow, 4000! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tessarakonteres However the controversy section is well worth a read hah.
Yes I’d just found that! That’s insane.
At the end though the Controversy section implies it was probably exaggerated. Even as a show vessel it would have been grossly impractical with the technology at the time. Still, it’s so fantastical, I love it!