Listed 6 sub titles with search on: Archaeological sites for wider area of: "PIRAEUS Prefectural seat ATTIKI" .
EGILA (Ancient city) ANTIKYTHIRA
In the innermost corner of the small bay of Xeropotamos, near the ancient fortress
of Aegila, some of the stones used to tie ships in the harbor remain. In 1880,
during excavations there, a marble statue dedicated to Apollo (now on display
in the Athens Archaeological
Museum) was discovered. On the base of the statue was an inscribed dedication
to the gods from Aristomenis, the son of Aristomides, a Thessalian from Ferres
and from Nikona, the son of Kifisodoros of Athens.
The same archaeologists found parts of a temple to Apollo that once stood there.
Round the ancient harbour, pieces of the wall that encircled the temple and the
harbour have survived, together with steps carved into the rock that led to the
castle.
This text is cited June 2005 from the Community of Antikythira URL below
The island's, ancient walled city, the "kastro" or stronghold of ancient Aigila, lies in the north of the island above the above the bay of Xeropotamos, once the city’s harbor. Its walls, which date from the Hellenistic period, have survived in good condition. The city’s ruins cover about 75 acres, and it probably had about 800-1000 inhabitants. Much of the fortification has been preserved: in places, the walls stand as much as six meters tall. In the harbour of Xeropotamos there is a neosoikos - an inclined space or slipway where the warships from the pirate city were stored. It is carved out of the rock and in exceptionally good condition; it is one of the few in Greece that have ever been found preserved in their entirety. The ongoing excavation of the stronghold has discovered that the fortifications were first built towards the end of the fourth century BC or the begining of the third century BC. Important repairs were made during the middle of the third century BC, after an expedition of invaders from Rhodes devastated the city. It appears that from the begining the castle was under the control of Falasarna, a well-known city of pirates in Western Crete, which used it as an obeservatory and isolated outpost. The island's luck changed between 69 and 67 BC, when the Romans the decided to embark on "an expedition against piracy" and after the first century BC it seems to have been abandoned. Throughout the city, archaeologists have found clear evidence of a long history of war. The majority of the archaeological objects found are residues of war, such as stone projectiles from small catapaults, arrowheads, and innumerable lead sling-shots in the shape of almonds. The walls are marked by numerous and extensive repairs, and in some places the repairs were clearly hasty and improvised.
This text is cited June 2005 from the Community of Antikythira URL below
PIRAEUS (Ancient city) GREECE
Site: Piraeus
Type: Shipshed
Summary: Stoa-like boathouse; several located on the shores of the
harbors at Piraeus.
Date: ca. 480 B.C. - 390 B.C.
Period: Classical
Plan:
Floors, with slotted slipways cut to accommodate trireme keels, that sloped and
descended into the water between rows of tall columns alternating with rows of
shorter columns. Parallel roofs supported by taller columns at the ridges and
the shorter columns at the valleys.
History:
Slipways cradled and protected the keel and undersides of ship when it was hauled
from the water.
This text is cited Nov 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains 3 image(s), bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
Site: Piraeus
Type: Theater
Summary: Theater; west of the Zea harbor.
Date: ca. 200 B.C. - 100 B.C.
Period: Hellenistic
Plan:
Cavea with stone seats facing a stage building which extended the width of the
orchestra. Orchestra surrounded by a covered channel. Fourteen flights of steps
creating 13 kerkides at the level below the diazomata.
History:
Modeled after the Theater of Dionysos in Athens. Design and proportions matched
those of the theater in Athens.
This text is cited Nov 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains 2 image(s), bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
EGINA (Ancient city) ATTIKI
Region: Saronic Gulf
Periods: Neolithic, Early Bronze Age, Middle Bronze Age, Late Bronze
Age, Dark Age, Geometric, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Modern
Type: Fortified city
Summary: Capital city of the island of Aegina.
Physical Description:
The ancient capital of Aegina is located on the NW coast
of the island, partially under the modern town. The city had a larger commercial
harbor and N of this a rectangular military harbor. The latter was protected on
the N by a low promontory which served as the acropolis. The Classical city walls
enclosed both harbors and the acropolis promontory. On the promontory beneath
the levels of the ca. 500 B.C. temple of Apollo and the remains of an earlier
temple, excavations have uncovered levels of continuous occupation extending back
through the Bronze Ages to the Neolithic. The successive settlements on the acropolis
were each fortified, at least since the Early Bronze Age. The 6th century temple
of Apollo was replaced by a late Roman fortress.
Description:
Aegina is located in a key maritime position and since prehistoric
times has had close trade contact with the mainland and the islands. It may have
been depopulated in the Dark Ages and then resettled by colonists from the Peloponnese
in the 10th century B.C. By the end of the 8th century, however, Aegina was independent
of any mainland ties. During the 7th and 6th centuries, Aegina was a major maritime
power and had trade contacts from Egypt to Spain. The island was especially noted
for its fine pottery and bronze products. Aegina was apparently the first Greek
city state to adopt coinage and its system of weights became one of the earliest
standards for trade in the Greek historical period. During the 6th century B.C.
the growing power of Athens came into conflict with the interests of Aegina. Although
Aegina fought along side the Greeks at Salamis, conflict with Athens continued
and in 458 B.C. Athens defeated the combined navies of Aegina and Corinth. In
431 B.C. Athens expelled the inhabitants of Aegina and established an Athenian
cleruchy on their territory. In 404 B.C. the remaining Aegina citizens returned
from exile, but the city was no longer a major power. Aegina came under Macedonian
control and finally in 210 B.C. it passed to the rule of Pergamon.
Exploration:
Excavations: 1894, B. Stais; 1901, Thiersch; 1904, Keramopoullis.
German excavations directed by P. Wolters 1924-1926; by G. Welter 1926-1931, 1941-43;
and by H. Walter 1966-1972.
Donald R. Keller, ed.
This text is cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains 36 image(s), bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
PIRAEUS (Ancient city) GREECE
Region: Attica
Periods: Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman
Type: Port city
Summary: Port located on the Munichia peninsula 7 km from Athens.
Physical Description:
The 3 natural harbors (Zea and Munichia on the E and Kantharos
on the W) of the peninsula were enhanced with fortified moles and narrowed entrances
that could be closed by chains. The peninsula was enclosed by fortifications and
3 long walls provided a secure corridor to Athens. Piraeus was laid out and built
on a grid plan by Hippodamos of Miletus. In addition to a spacious agora at the
center of the city and numerous public and religious buildings, many quays, warehouses,
arsenals, dry docks and over 300 ship-sheds served the Athenian fleet and commercial
interests. A majority of the inhabitants were "Metics" or resident aliens which
gave the city a cosmopolitan character.
Description:
Prior to the 5th century B.C., the Athenians kept their
warships at the beach of Phaleron Bay, E of the Munichia peninsula. As Athens
grew to rival the major maritime powers of Corinth and Aegina, Themistocles created
an Athenian fleet of 200 ships and in 493 expanded the fortifications of the Piraeus
which Hippias had started in 527-510 B.C. In addition to the fortifications, ship
sheds, dry docks, storage buildings, and arsenals were built to serve as base
for the fleet. After the interruption of the Persian invasion in 480 B.C., the
work continued and at ca. 450 B.C. the architect Hippodamos of Miletus laid out
a new city grid plan (one of the earliest employment of this plan in Greece),
and the Long Walls to Athens were constructed. The Long Walls and fortifications
were destroyed on order of the Spartans at the end of the Peloponnese War in 404
B.C., but rebuilt by Konon in 393 B.C. Piraeus was pillaged by Sulla in 86 B.C.,
but enjoyed a revival under Hadrian and the Antonines in the 2nd century A.D.
In 267 A.D. the city was raided by the Herulians, and after another destruction
by Alaric in 396 A.D. it lost its importance as a major port city.
Exploration:
1885 excavation gave plan of ship-sheds. 1887, French School
of Archaeology excavated the Aphrodision Gate. Little systematic excavation, but
many chance finds and salvage digs by the Greek Archaeological Service.
Donald R. Keller, ed.
This text is cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains 54 image(s), bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
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