Two ships of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...
have borne the name HMS ''Alceste'', after
Alcestis
Alcestis (; Ancient Greek: Ἄλκηστις, ') or Alceste, was a princess in Greek mythology, known for her love of her husband. Her life story was told by pseudo-Apollodorus in his '' Bibliotheca'', and a version of her death and return fr ...
, a character in
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities of ...
:
* was a 32-gun
fifth rate
In the rating system of the Royal Navy used to categorise sailing warships, a fifth rate was the second-smallest class of warships in a hierarchical system of six " ratings" based on size and firepower.
Rating
The rating system in the Royal ...
captured from the French in 1793. The British transferred her to the Sardinians that year, but the French recaptured her in 1794. The British recaptured her in 1799 and sold her for breaking up in 1802.
* was a 38-gun fifth rate, previously the French ship ''Minerve''. She was captured in 1806 and was wrecked in 1817.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alceste
Royal Navy ship names