Monumental Architecture

...

Greece's geography strongly affects its history. Greece is a hilly and mountainous land, breaking up into literally hundreds of independent city-states. These city-states spend much of their time fighting one another rather than uniting in a common cause. Greece is also by the sea with many natural harbors. From my royal fortress in Mycenae, I rule over a people who had once built a great empire of the Bronze Age. It’s no secret the Kingdom of the Hittites was destroyed forever by invasion and fire. The most important monumental structure I need now is a solid fortification. I have chosen my citadel steep in the hills with a difficulty of approach. While my preliminary purpose is clearly defensive, the construction of walls measuring just over 10 feet thick and close to 20 feet high, surrounding approximately fifty acres, also serve a more appealing function. The architectural members indirectly speak to the wealth of the citadel they enclose. The ability of the fortifications to express visual authority is further improved by the combination of the surrounding geography into the walls providing them with a great sense of stability in the face of disorder and aggression.

The walls required much man power and hours to complete. Existing fortifications were strengthened and a secret container was built underground outside the walls. The entire wall was raised and strengthened without the use of a bonding agent. Most fortifications are built of massive, irregularly shaped blocks of stone that rely on their weight to keep them in place and the walls intact. In addition to presenting a unified impermeable boundary, the facades were designed to both frighten and impress the visitor or attacking army. Gateways were strongly defended, projecting supports being used to provide adjoining protection to the actual gate. The fortifications were a sign of power and authority.

WORKS CITED

Robertson, John F. "House most High: The Temples of Ancient Mesopotamia." Journal of the American Oriental Society 118.1 (1998): 81-2. ProQuest. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.

Magli, Giulio. "From Giza to the Pantheon: Astronomy as a Key to the Architectural Projects of the Ancient Past." International Astronomical Union.Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 5 (2009): 274-81. ProQuest. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.

Cook, Philip S. "The "Energetics" of Mycenaean Defense Works: Assessing Labour Investment for Fortification Construction during the Late Helladic Period (Ca. 1600-1200 B.C.)." Order No. 1568319 Trent University (Canada), 2014. Ann Arbor: ProQuest.Web. 23 Feb. 2015.

...