The Roman chantyman hortator is from the same root as exhort and oratory, ie: cheerleader.

Leontophoros

“There was one eight (octareme), which was called Leontophoros, remarkable for its size and beauty. In this ship while there were a hundred men rowing each file so that there were eight hundred men from each side, from both sides there were one thousand six hundred oarsmen. Those who fought from the deck were one thousand two hundred. And there were two helmsmen.”

"...one thousand six hundred oarsmen." that's quite a hallelujah chorus in any day. Probably some kind of world record.