Syracuse

Syracuse: City Wall of Dionysios I and Euryalos Castle

The project is under the auspices of the Magna Graecia Department of the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut Rome Section.

Location

Located on the east coast of Sicily, the Greek foundation of Syracuse is impressive today mainly due to its extensive fortifications.

Objectives

In 1988, the Rome Department began scientific work on the largest fortification structure of antiquity: the walls of Dionysios I and Kastell »Euryalos« in Syracuse.
With the construction of the wall, begun in 401 B.C. during the truce of 405 B.C. between Dionysios and Carthage, the high plateau of Epipolai (measuring 1800 hectare) had become protected against hostile occupation. The Kastell, or citadel, that protected the western outermost point of the plateau, was continually being rebuilt in the following centuries up until the capture of the city by Rome in 211 B.C. This occurred elsewhere with the gates, the so-called »hexapylons«, to the north close to the coast and at the large harbor. The gigantic citadel, the most versatile and refined fortress from antiquity, above all else is a monument that symbolically represented the Hellenistic king of Syracuse. The publication of Kastell »Euryalos« is being prepared by H.J. Beste and will include an accurate documentation of the finds and a descriptive reconstruction of the changing technical defense features over the various developmental phases of the complex, D. Mertens is attending to the study of the »long walls« of Dionysios. Fundamental to the work on the walls are photogrammetric aerial photographs for the preparation of a topographical plan on a scale of 1:2000. The expensive work, particularly the photogrammetry restitution, has been supported by a grant from the Fritz Thysse Foundation. The aim of the study is to examine the function of a large rural fortification, including for the first time an explanation of the complex architectural findings, and based on those findings, to offer suggestions for reconstruction. Besides protecting the city itself, the installation also served in times of danger as a refuge for a large portion of the Syracuse rural population. Consequently, the city surrounded by its walls and the agricultural land beyond form an inseparable unit which clearly symbolizes the basic nature of the Greek polis. The realization of this enterprise, constructed through the initiative of the tyrant Dionysios and the massive participation of the rural population (as related by the ancient historian Diodor), corresponds to this concept. 

Cooperation

The work is being carried out in cooperation with the Soprintendenza of the Provinz. 

Contact

Dr.-Ing. Heinz-Jürgen Beste

Bauforschung
Telefon: + 39-06-488814-1
Telefax: + 39-06-4884973
Email: beste@rom.dainst.org

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. h.c. Dieter Mertens

Telefon: 0039-06-48881461
Telefax: 0039-06-4884973
Email: mertens@rom.dainst.org

Sponsors

The work has been funded in part by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation.  

Bibliography

D. Mertens, Die Befestigungen von Selinunt und Syrakus, in: Akten des XIII. Internationalen Kongresses für Klassische Archäologie, Berlin 1988 (1990) 475 ff.; H. J. Beste, Das Kastell Euryalos, in: 38. Tagung der Koldewey-Gesellschaft, Brandenburg 1994 (1997) 12-17; H. J. Beste, Das Kastell Euryalos bei Syrakus, in: Diskussionen zur Archäologischen Bauforschung 7 (1999); D. Mertens, Die Landschaftsfestung Epipolai bei Syrakus, in: Diskussionen zur Archäologischen Bauforschung 7 (1999).