The dromonas was a later development of the liburna, a light type of vessel used by the Romans ever since the days of the Caesars. Contrary to more ancient models, a dromonas did not ram enemies, but instead used a wooden beak or spar to break enemy oars, thus disabling the ship and making it easier to board. The term "dromonas" was derived from the Greek suffix "drom-" (lit: run), meaning a "runner" or, in later Italian parlance, a "corsair", capable of good speeds at sea, while being sturdy enough to run down smaller prey. This term found its way into other languages, becoming "dromon" or "dromond" to represent large ships build in the Byzantine style, as well as those warships which were meant to replicate the performance of a Greek dromonas.