This paper presents the development of the Roman Navy from the period of the Roman Republic sometime from the end of the 6th century BC, all the way to the period of the principality of the Roman Empire, which includes the period of almost nine centuries. The first chapter brings the genesis of the Roman Republic and its territorial expansion, when for the first time in Rome the need for its own naval forces emerged. The second chapter explains the development and operation of the Roman Navy in the first major maritime challenge: The First Punic War. The course of the war, the key naval battles, and the development and rise of the navy to the naval force are brought. The third chapter shows war operations in several wars in which Roman Navy also gave great contribution to the final victory. The next chapter is dedicated to the period of the 1st century BC, marked by civil wars, where the navy also played a crucial role in the formation of a new Roman state order - the Empire. Chapter 5 deals with August's reorganization of the Navy, where it was set up as a separate genus of the army. It talks about all the structures of the navy, from ships to the officer who serves it. Chapter 5 also gives an account of the emperors' fleets, which were main pillars of the Roman Navy in the period of the Empire. The last, sixth, chapter provides a description of provincial navies that, in correspondence with the emperor's navy, served to maintain peace throughout the Mediterranean, with some military activities during the first three centuries of the new era.