military architecture
Introduction
Military architecture in Ancient Greece was concerned with designing and constructing buildings intended for military purposes. Born in Mycenaean times. The Achaeans, conquerors of mainland Greece, built their citadels based on the Minoan palaces of Crete and fortifying them with Cyclopean stones. In this way, the stone walls and the first solutions for the protection of city gates, the most vulnerable points, were born, based on the Greek military tactic that forced soldiers to carry their shield on the left. The Mycenaeans built their fortresses "Fortress (architecture)") elevated and access ramps; Its difficult ascent allowed the defenders to target the soldiers' unprotected right flanks.
The development of military architecture suffered a halt during the Dark Ages, such that many cities were no longer fortified, although some, such as Smyrna, continued to do so. In the century BC. C. the construction of walls and towers was resumed, and in the century BC. C. Greek military architecture reached its maximum splendor.
The construction
At least since the century BC. C., Greek military constructions were financed with public funds or thanks to looting carried out during military campaigns. Several texts record that some rich men donated money for this type of construction.
The employees (carpenters, stonemasons and other professionals) were directed by an architect (architékton) who was in charge of both design and construction management. An example of this practice is given by an Athenian document, where it is said that the Assembly assigned an architect to fix the damage to the wall between 307 and 306 BC. C. Another document tells us about the payment to an architect for works in the Erechtheion, in the years 409-408 BC. c.
The walls
Contenido
Los griegos defendieron desde antiguo sus ciudades con murallas, de las cuales las más antiguas dieron lugar a los recintos fortificados que llamamos acrópolis. Sin embargo, situándonos ya en el período helénico, las murallas en las nuevas ciudades aparecen en el siglo a. C.; un hecho tardío, pues la población se refugiaba en las acrópolis o en una fortaleza en caso de peligro. Hay que tener en cuenta, además, que las fortificaciones eran tan caras en Grecia que superaban los recursos de muchas ciudades-estado. Este hecho se veía magnificado en casos como el de Esparta, ciudad formada por varios núcleos de población distribuidos en una superficie más o menos extensa, por lo que existían espacios libres entre los barrios (véase Laconia).