Ancient Fortification Walls of Melos
Item
Title
Ancient Fortification Walls of Melos See all items with this value
Description
The fortification wall pictured here would have been much grander when originally constructed. Melos' greatest asset was their stone, and they would need to utilize it in order to protect themselves and their assets from waring cities. Moreover, Melos reliance on their ports for economic prosperity meant they needed strong walls to protect their settlements from the elements. Athens first tried to take Melos in 426 but failed, only to try again in 416 and succeed. Nevertheless, the fact that they were able to withstand a siege from as formidable of a civilization as Athens speaks to the strength of their fortifications. See all items with this value
Place name
Melos, Greece. See all items with this value
Subject
Landscape
Notes
The right side of the wall appears to have been constructed before the left side, based on the coloration of the stone. The bottom of the wall is composed of various sizes of cut stone; some blocks are large and rectangular, while others are square and compact. This suggests that the wall has been rebuilt many times. Moreover, the stones at the top of the wall are much smaller than those used to construct the base.
Date photographed
September 1974
Citation for images from the web
Sackett_086
