DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.800#0131
THE LONG WALLS.
113
time referred to, was induced to place it on the opposite side of the bay,
near the church of St. George ("Ayio<; Fecopyios:); and it must be con-
fessed that this view obviates some difficulties attendant upon the
previous one. For instance, it can hardly be disputed that Athens was
at one time connected with its ports by means of three long walls, the
Phaleric, the Northern, and the Southern ; yet if all the ports were in
the Peirai'c peninsula, it is difficult to imagine what could have been the
use of the third wall; while, if Phalerum lay on the east side of the
bay, it is evident that the southern, or middle wall, would have been
required as a protection against a hostile landing in the bay. And it
has never, we believe, been pretended that any traces of a third Long
Wall could be discovered in a line between Athens and Peiraeeus.
It has indeed been sometimes asserted, that a third wall never ex-
isted, and some colourable grounds are not wanting for this opinion.
Thus, when Athens was taken by the Lacedaemonians in b.c. 404, it
was only proposed that ten stades of each of the two1 Long Walls should
be levelled, and no mention is made of a third. But it is evident that"
the partial destruction of both the Long Walls between Athens and
Peiraeeus would have admitted an enemy into the whole system of
fortifications. He would then have been within the Phaleric Wall, and
the port of Phalerum would have lain at his mercy.2 Hence the
Athenians seem to have discovered that the Phaleric Wall was of little
or no use; especially as an attack from the south was hardly to be
expected, that side of the town being covered by Mount Hymettus; and
Athens, we believe, was never threatened in that quarter but once,
namely, in the second year of the Peloponnesian war.3 For these
reasons, the Phaleric Wall seems to have been allowed to fall into
decay; and an inscription relating to the repairs of the Long Walls,
1 trpofKaKovvTo 8e, twv iiaKpav tux™" garded as forming one fortification, the
(irt oetca aTaSiovs KaOcXtly ftcdrfpov.—■
Xenoph. Hell. ii. 2, 15. Cf. Lysias c.
Agorat. p. 451 sqq. (Reiske).
2 See Forchhamraer, Topogr. p. 9. It
may be observed, however, that the two
Peirai'c Long Walls were sometimes re-
interior of which was inhabited; and in
this view the demolition by the Spartans
may possibly have included the Phaleric
Long Wall.
3 Thucyd. ii. 55.
113
time referred to, was induced to place it on the opposite side of the bay,
near the church of St. George ("Ayio<; Fecopyios:); and it must be con-
fessed that this view obviates some difficulties attendant upon the
previous one. For instance, it can hardly be disputed that Athens was
at one time connected with its ports by means of three long walls, the
Phaleric, the Northern, and the Southern ; yet if all the ports were in
the Peirai'c peninsula, it is difficult to imagine what could have been the
use of the third wall; while, if Phalerum lay on the east side of the
bay, it is evident that the southern, or middle wall, would have been
required as a protection against a hostile landing in the bay. And it
has never, we believe, been pretended that any traces of a third Long
Wall could be discovered in a line between Athens and Peiraeeus.
It has indeed been sometimes asserted, that a third wall never ex-
isted, and some colourable grounds are not wanting for this opinion.
Thus, when Athens was taken by the Lacedaemonians in b.c. 404, it
was only proposed that ten stades of each of the two1 Long Walls should
be levelled, and no mention is made of a third. But it is evident that"
the partial destruction of both the Long Walls between Athens and
Peiraeeus would have admitted an enemy into the whole system of
fortifications. He would then have been within the Phaleric Wall, and
the port of Phalerum would have lain at his mercy.2 Hence the
Athenians seem to have discovered that the Phaleric Wall was of little
or no use; especially as an attack from the south was hardly to be
expected, that side of the town being covered by Mount Hymettus; and
Athens, we believe, was never threatened in that quarter but once,
namely, in the second year of the Peloponnesian war.3 For these
reasons, the Phaleric Wall seems to have been allowed to fall into
decay; and an inscription relating to the repairs of the Long Walls,
1 trpofKaKovvTo 8e, twv iiaKpav tux™" garded as forming one fortification, the
(irt oetca aTaSiovs KaOcXtly ftcdrfpov.—■
Xenoph. Hell. ii. 2, 15. Cf. Lysias c.
Agorat. p. 451 sqq. (Reiske).
2 See Forchhamraer, Topogr. p. 9. It
may be observed, however, that the two
Peirai'c Long Walls were sometimes re-
interior of which was inhabited; and in
this view the demolition by the Spartans
may possibly have included the Phaleric
Long Wall.
3 Thucyd. ii. 55.