# What is the job title of the galley-slave drum beater?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-job-title-of-the-galley-slave-drum-beater/179670>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 4, 2003, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-job-title-of-the-galley-slave-drum-beater/179670 "2003-06-04T19:06:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-job-title-of-the-galley-slave-drum-beater/179670/21 "2018-12-21T16:29:50Z")

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> [@Cuteulala](#):
>
> The role of the drummer is to make sure all the slaves are in sync because if they go out of sync the ship will turn if one side is underperforming…

Obligatory _Far Side_ cartoon: [http://4.bp.blogspot.com/\_qMABJs3fRaQ/R0BNQnDXuVI/AAAAAAAAAeI/h9GXPMQJuZk/s320/Rowing+in+Circle001.jpg](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qMABJs3fRaQ/R0BNQnDXuVI/AAAAAAAAAeI/h9GXPMQJuZk/s320/Rowing+in+Circle001.jpg)

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**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-job-title-of-the-galley-slave-drum-beater/179670/22 "2018-12-21T17:02:10Z")

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> [@ltfire](#):
>
> …and the HORTATOR says that he has good news and bad news. The good news is that the Emporer is sleeping and that there will be a very slow cadence for a few hours. The bad news, when the Emporer awakens, he wants to water ski…😃

And, of course, Mythbusters proved it was possible for him to have done so, by having Jamie Hyneman do it!

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**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-job-title-of-the-galley-slave-drum-beater/179670/23 "2019-01-19T14:40:12Z")

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Another comic strip (on my office bull board) shows the interior of a galley with only 3 rowers and the drum beater says to the captain, “You said you wanted this place to be run like a business”.

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