An arsenal is a maritime-industrial establishment, located in an area with direct or easy communication with the sea, in which warships are built, preserved, fitted out, repaired and supplied. Arsenals are a very important factor for the naval potential of a country, so efforts are made to ensure that the best equipped ones possible are located in points of the coastline "Coastline (geography)", protected and in conditions of good defense, so that they constitute solid strategic bases in maritime-military operations.[1][2].
Every arsenal includes various constructions and works made outside and inside the water, such as: docks, construction slipways, slipways, docks, hulls, cranes, machines, etc., and different buildings appropriate to meet the needs of the multiple services and tasks carried out in these centers of activity and work. All the dependencies of an arsenal can be grouped into two large sections: that for the construction of the ship, shipyard, and that for armament and fitting out, which is what constitutes the arsenal itself.[3][4].
History
Among the peoples who built maritime arsenals are the Phoenicians first, as navigation was the main manifestation of their activity and the origin of their wealth. Essentially a seafaring people, the coasts of their homeland did not have roadsteads "Rada (nautical)") and ad hoc inlets for the shelter and safety of vessels, so they supplied with artificial means what nature had denied them. The Neorias of the port of Tire can be considered a true arsenal, in the sense of buildings intended for the same purpose as the modern ones. The word cothon has the meaning of artificial port.[5] The arsenals of Carthage occupied the bottom of the second port, that is, the one destined for the Carthaginian navy, since the first was used for traffic (see Punic ports of Carthage). The port of Utica, although no remains survive, presumably had an arsenal, according to archaeologists.[6][7].
The initiative for the true arsenals (ergasterion) is due to the Greeks, who established maritime [polis]] (cities), in which there was everything necessary to arm ships, such as triremes. The arsenal of Piraeus, the port of Athens, was famous. In this arsenal was the warehouse of war machines that Miltiades used on the island of Paros, whose importance increased until the time of Demetrius Poliorcetes. After the Decelian War (third and final phase of the Peloponnesian War) it had to be built again, a task that was taken over by the architect Philo of Byzantium during the government of Lycurgus. This arsenal was destroyed by Lucius Cornelius Sulla when he seized Athens. The Greeks also founded naval arsenals in their ports and colonies, worth mentioning is that of Syracuse, with a large supply of weapons and war machines, and those of Rhodes "Rhodes (city)"), Corinth and Massalia.[6].
Arsenal architecture
Introduction
An arsenal is a maritime-industrial establishment, located in an area with direct or easy communication with the sea, in which warships are built, preserved, fitted out, repaired and supplied. Arsenals are a very important factor for the naval potential of a country, so efforts are made to ensure that the best equipped ones possible are located in points of the coastline "Coastline (geography)", protected and in conditions of good defense, so that they constitute solid strategic bases in maritime-military operations.[1][2].
Every arsenal includes various constructions and works made outside and inside the water, such as: docks, construction slipways, slipways, docks, hulls, cranes, machines, etc., and different buildings appropriate to meet the needs of the multiple services and tasks carried out in these centers of activity and work. All the dependencies of an arsenal can be grouped into two large sections: that for the construction of the ship, shipyard, and that for armament and fitting out, which is what constitutes the arsenal itself.[3][4].
History
Among the peoples who built maritime arsenals are the Phoenicians first, as navigation was the main manifestation of their activity and the origin of their wealth. Essentially a seafaring people, the coasts of their homeland did not have roadsteads "Rada (nautical)") and ad hoc inlets for the shelter and safety of vessels, so they supplied with artificial means what nature had denied them. The Neorias of the port of Tire can be considered a true arsenal, in the sense of buildings intended for the same purpose as the modern ones. The word cothon has the meaning of artificial port.[5] The arsenals of Carthage occupied the bottom of the second port, that is, the one destined for the Carthaginian navy, since the first was used for traffic (see Punic ports of Carthage). The port of Utica, although no remains survive, presumably had an arsenal, according to archaeologists.[6][7].
The initiative for the true arsenals (ergasterion) is due to the Greeks, who established maritime [polis]] (cities), in which there was everything necessary to arm ships, such as triremes. The arsenal of Piraeus, the port of Athens, was famous. In this arsenal was the warehouse of war machines that Miltiades used on the island of Paros, whose importance increased until the time of Demetrius Poliorcetes. After the Decelian War (third and final phase of the Peloponnesian War) it had to be built again, a task that was taken over by the architect Philo of Byzantium during the government of Lycurgus. This arsenal was destroyed by Lucius Cornelius Sulla when he seized Athens. The Greeks also founded naval arsenals in their ports and colonies, worth mentioning is that of Syracuse, with a large supply of weapons and war machines, and those of Rhodes "Rhodes (city)"), Corinth and Massalia.[6].
As for the Romans, after the invasion of Provence by the Cimbri during the Cimbrian War, one of the main depots for machines, weapons and maritime supplies was established in Massalia. These arsenals were also established in many other cities of the Roman Republic, first, and the Roman Empire, later. They had a large staff of workers organized into decurias, with employees in charge of accounting called scribae armamentarii, all of whom were under the direction of the armae custos.[6].
The most important arsenals are or have been, among others: Cherbourg, Rochefort "Rochefort (Charente Maritime)"), Flushing, Texel, Woolwich "Woolwich (Maine)"), Chatham "Chatham (Kent)"), Hereford "Hereford (United Kingdom)"), Pembroke, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Sheernes"), Valletta, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Calcutta, Spezia, Naples, Venice, Taranto, Sasebo (Nagasaki)"), Veracruz, Atarazanas de Barcelona, Cariskrona"), Horteu"), Callao, Lisbon, Cronstadt"), Sveaborg, Arcángel "Arcángel (Russia)"), Odesa, Nicolaiev, Sebastopol, Vladivostok, Stockholm, Istanbul, Thessaloniki, Montevideo, Cartagena, Cádiz, Ferrol and Puerto Belgrano (Arsenal Naval Port Belgrano).
[6] ↑ a b c d Enciclopedia Universal Ilustrada Europeo-Americana - Vol- 6. Editorial Espasa-Calpe. 1945. - [https://books.google.cat/books?id=KkNXAAAAMAAJ&q=tomo+6+de+la+Enciclopedia+Universal+Ilustrada+Europeo-Americana+(Espasa)&dq=tomo+6+de+la+Enciclopedia+Universal+Ilustrada+Europeo-Americana+(Espasa)&hl=ca&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjxtIq20cfJAhWKWBQKHVZRCz8Q6AEIJzAA](https://books.google.cat/books?id=KkNXAAAAMAAJ&q=tomo+6+de+la+Enciclopedia+Universal+Ilustrada+Europeo-Americana+(Espasa)&dq=tomo+6+de+la+Enciclopedia+Universal+Ilustrada+Europeo-Americana+(Espasa)&hl=ca&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjxtIq20cfJAhWKWBQKHVZRCz8Q6AEIJzAA)
As for the Romans, after the invasion of Provence by the Cimbri during the Cimbrian War, one of the main depots for machines, weapons and maritime supplies was established in Massalia. These arsenals were also established in many other cities of the Roman Republic, first, and the Roman Empire, later. They had a large staff of workers organized into decurias, with employees in charge of accounting called scribae armamentarii, all of whom were under the direction of the armae custos.[6].
The most important arsenals are or have been, among others: Cherbourg, Rochefort "Rochefort (Charente Maritime)"), Flushing, Texel, Woolwich "Woolwich (Maine)"), Chatham "Chatham (Kent)"), Hereford "Hereford (United Kingdom)"), Pembroke, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Sheernes"), Valletta, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Calcutta, Spezia, Naples, Venice, Taranto, Sasebo (Nagasaki)"), Veracruz, Atarazanas de Barcelona, Cariskrona"), Horteu"), Callao, Lisbon, Cronstadt"), Sveaborg, Arcángel "Arcángel (Russia)"), Odesa, Nicolaiev, Sebastopol, Vladivostok, Stockholm, Istanbul, Thessaloniki, Montevideo, Cartagena, Cádiz, Ferrol and Puerto Belgrano (Arsenal Naval Port Belgrano).
[6] ↑ a b c d Enciclopedia Universal Ilustrada Europeo-Americana - Vol- 6. Editorial Espasa-Calpe. 1945. - [https://books.google.cat/books?id=KkNXAAAAMAAJ&q=tomo+6+de+la+Enciclopedia+Universal+Ilustrada+Europeo-Americana+(Espasa)&dq=tomo+6+de+la+Enciclopedia+Universal+Ilustrada+Europeo-Americana+(Espasa)&hl=ca&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjxtIq20cfJAhWKWBQKHVZRCz8Q6AEIJzAA](https://books.google.cat/books?id=KkNXAAAAMAAJ&q=tomo+6+de+la+Enciclopedia+Universal+Ilustrada+Europeo-Americana+(Espasa)&dq=tomo+6+de+la+Enciclopedia+Universal+Ilustrada+Europeo-Americana+(Espasa)&hl=ca&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjxtIq20cfJAhWKWBQKHVZRCz8Q6AEIJzAA)