Classical Studies 2700B

Greek Construction Techniques

Many different trades were involved in building construction; so, money spent on big projects was widely spread in the community. Athens is only place where construction can be analysed in detail.

Someone made a proposal in the Assembly before the Demos (People) for a building to be constructed, and, if the Assembly approved the idea, it would appoint a commission to plan and oversee the project. Concept would be developed and specifications drawn up in consultation with an architekton (= “master builder”); then Assembly would vote again and the project would be a “go”. Next step was breaking up general specs into various individual jobs, which would be put up for tender. Details agreed on payment and stages of the project. What about the “architect”? We know the names of several famous ones in 5^th century BC: examples and their buildings. What about drawings? Some drawings were made, but probably only of details and special parts of a building. Only general concepts were worked up for whole buildings (This was v. different from what Roman architects did in 1^st century AD—plans, elevations, perspectives, models—just like today). Why was this different in 5^th century BC? Only important buildings were temples and stoas. Basic shape was determined by Order of Architecture to be used in the building: Ionic or Doric. [Consideration of fact that there is not one straight line in the Parthenon: so how come no drawings? How can fine and subtle details be conveyed on small drawings? Discovery, twenty years ago, of large drawings on inside wall of a Greek temple in Asia Minor: see Scientific American, December 1985, 126-132.] How master builder actually worked in laying-out shape of a building. Idea of “module”, an internal item in some object used as a basic unit for the measurement of the object’s various parts: in a Doric order building, the module was the width of the triglyph. Description of how all this worked .

Actual construction: 1^st problem was quarrying, dressing and transportation of large blocks of stone: this was put out to tender; and the transportation of stone blocks was very expensive (but column “drums” (sections, so called because of their shape) could be quite small parts of large columns or major section of small and slender columns); however, each column drum seems to have cost c. $35,000 to transport 24-32 km. Raising the stones on a construction site required “cranes”—different kinds of machines; plus pulleys (“block and tackle”). Romans invented squirrel-cage/treadmill device for powering cranes, though how common this was is not clear. Scaffolding was also used. Advantage of machines over vast amounts of labour (cf. Stonehenge). How were ropes attached to blocks of stone? See handout and textbook for examples, including “lewis” bolts. Methods of moving and clamping blocks together; use of anathyrosis (not a disease!) Final stone cutting refinements and polishing done on the spot, and flutes were added to columns after they were set up. Finally, roofs.

For an additional file with info. about Greek Construction Techniques, click here.