File:The SE Tower of the Castle of Aigosthena on August 27, 2020.jpg

English: The Southeastern Tower Of the Acropolis of Aigosthena

“The SE tower forms part of the acropolis of the ancient fortress of Aigosthena that dates to the second half of the 4th century B.C. It was the largest and tallest tower of the fortress, square in plan whose sides measure approximately 9 metres, with three storeys, 18 metres in total height, ending in a gable roof. It is built of double masonry that consists of large rectangular blocks of dressed stone on the outside and an inner face, erected up to the second storey, which interlocks with the exterior surface with the aid of stones laid across at intervals.

The gate of the tower is situated at the northern side. On the two first storeys there are archers’ slots and on the top storey catapult windows, three on each side.

During the Byzantine period the tower was reconstructed and possibly it was used by the monks of the Monastery of Saint George that had been established in the acropolis. The interior of the tower was equally divided into two oblong spaces by an inner partition wall with east-west orientation. Part of this wall has been preserved, as well as small parts of the contemporary floor uncovered by recent excavation.

Oxybeles catapult

The third storey was provided with twelve windows in total, three on each side, designed for the use of arrow-shooting catapelts. The type of catapult likely to have been used in this tower was the so-called oxybeles (“sharp-caster”).

The oxybeles catapult was a military weapon capable of shooting at the same time two arrows, to an effective range of around 300 metres, with certain precision and most strong piercing force. It consisted of a stand, upon which a horizontal stock was attached, that could be pivoted to every direction in order to aim the target. The bow was mounted horizontally on the stock. The stock was provided with a slider bar, inside which the arrows were put with their back ends attached to the centre of the bowstring. The bowstring was attached to a trigger mechanism mounted on the slider bar. By means of a winch at the rear end of the stock the bowstring was pulled back and the two curved parts of the bow were bent. The trigger mechanism held the bowstring in cocked position until the operator released it so that the bowstring and the two curved parts of the bow returned to their original place in force and the arrows were fired with power.

Total fire-power

According to the size of the chamber, seven (7) to nine (9) small oxybeleis catapults could be housed here. The combined fields of fire of the catapults from the three windows of each side could cover effectively the terrain over which the enemy would advance. The great height, from which they would shoot the arrows, would be an additional advantage to the defenders. The defence would be reinforced by archers shooting arrows out of the arrow slots of the second chamber. On the whole, the total potential fire-power of the tower would be great.

The entire southern side of the tower was preserved up to the pedimental crown of the roof until 1981, when the powerful earthquake of the Alkyonides Islands damaged the monument severely.

In 2011 the Project ‘Restoration - Conservation of the SE Tower of Aigosthena Ancient Fortress’…was launched, on a budget of 2.184.000 Euros, and was implemented by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Athens with direct labour operations.”

Text: Selected passages from three site markers in the area.