The Fortress Of Eleutherai: New Insights from Survey, Architecture, and Epigraphy

by Sylvian Fachard, Sarah C. Murray, Alex R. Knodell and Kalliopi Papangeli

Hesperia, Volume 89, Issue 3
Page(s): 475-548
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2972/hesperia.89.3.0475
Year: 2020
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ABSTRACT:

The fortress at Eleutherai is an iconic example of ancient Greek military architecture. Our knowledge of the site, however, is limited by several problems related to its date, construction, function, and identity. The Mazi Archaeological Project has undertaken a detailed, multicomponent study of the fortress and its surroundings using a combination of intensive field survey, architectural mapping, and photogrammetry. A new architectural plan clarifies construction phases and building techniques, while surface finds and epigraphy inform the history of the occupation of Eleutherai, which is especially tied to Boiotia. In the second part of this article we provide new insights concerning the economics of constructing major fortifications and their role in regional politics.