DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1021#0430
THE FORTRESS AND PALACE OF GHA 375
and swine. It was these fat lands on which the Minyans grew rich and
Orchomenos became a synonym of affluence.
The lake has no outlets save by subterranean rifts in Mt. Ptoon on the
north and east. There are 23 of these katabothrae (as the Greeks call
them), through which the waters reach the Euboean Channel at Larymna.
and at least two other points. The largest of them (near Kokkino) has
"an entrance upwards of 80 feet high, and vaulted over by a precipitous
overhanging cliff." Into this great fissure, one can make his way some
175 paces before the rock-walls close in upon him, leaving only narrow,
dark rifts for the water.
To conduct the water to these natural outlets, the Minyans dug three
great canals through the lake, and with the earth taken out reared high
embankments on either side of them. More than that; from one of the
katabothrae — namely, that of Binia — ancient engineers undertook to
tunnel through to the Bay of Larymna. Over the low Pass of Kephalari,
in a line of 2,230 m., they sunk 16 shafts from 18 to 63 m. in depth, and
for a distance of 500 m. had actually tunneled from shaft to shaft, thus
seeking to secure a more certain and regular discharge of the waters
than the natural rifts alone could guarantee.1
To guard tin's great drainage system, on which their prosperity vitally
depended, the Minyans built a chain of forts, beginning with the central
stronghold on Gha (under whose eastern wall one of the canals passes,
while it commands the other two at Topolia), and extending from pro-
montory to promontory around the northeastern shores of Copais, as well
as (apparently) across Mt. Ptoon, to command the outlets on the channel.
Of these fortified posts, we shall describe only the central island-fortress.
The island of Gha 2 lies about half a mile from the eastern shore of
Copais, over against Topolia (from which it is 2£ miles distant), and
nearly east of Orchomenos. It is a great rock springing directly out of
the lake, and on the northwest, where the face is almost perpendicular, it
rises to a height of some 70 ni. above the plain. From this point the
ground gradually falls away on the west and south to half that altitude,
and still more sharply to the east, the north gate being only 12 m. above
the plain. Following the very edge of the rock, so as to economize
every inch of space, runs the fortress-wall, — a mighty rampart some
20 feet thick, and about three quarters of a mile in circuit. It is thus
the largest civcumvallation of the Mycenaean Age.3 According to Noack,
1 I*ake, Ulricbs, Visclier, Forchhammer, and Lolling credit the Minyae with this
colossal undertaking ; but Ciutins, Kambatiis. and Noack, with hotter reason,assign it
to Crates, the engineer of Alexander the Great. (Cf. Strabo, p. 407.)
2 This name, as well as Gla, is probably only a clipped form of the Albanian
name Goulds = castle. The peasants call the place Palaiokastro.
8 The area enclosed is about 200,(100 sq. m. For the corresponding measurements
of other Mycenaean citadels, see page 3fcS9.
and swine. It was these fat lands on which the Minyans grew rich and
Orchomenos became a synonym of affluence.
The lake has no outlets save by subterranean rifts in Mt. Ptoon on the
north and east. There are 23 of these katabothrae (as the Greeks call
them), through which the waters reach the Euboean Channel at Larymna.
and at least two other points. The largest of them (near Kokkino) has
"an entrance upwards of 80 feet high, and vaulted over by a precipitous
overhanging cliff." Into this great fissure, one can make his way some
175 paces before the rock-walls close in upon him, leaving only narrow,
dark rifts for the water.
To conduct the water to these natural outlets, the Minyans dug three
great canals through the lake, and with the earth taken out reared high
embankments on either side of them. More than that; from one of the
katabothrae — namely, that of Binia — ancient engineers undertook to
tunnel through to the Bay of Larymna. Over the low Pass of Kephalari,
in a line of 2,230 m., they sunk 16 shafts from 18 to 63 m. in depth, and
for a distance of 500 m. had actually tunneled from shaft to shaft, thus
seeking to secure a more certain and regular discharge of the waters
than the natural rifts alone could guarantee.1
To guard tin's great drainage system, on which their prosperity vitally
depended, the Minyans built a chain of forts, beginning with the central
stronghold on Gha (under whose eastern wall one of the canals passes,
while it commands the other two at Topolia), and extending from pro-
montory to promontory around the northeastern shores of Copais, as well
as (apparently) across Mt. Ptoon, to command the outlets on the channel.
Of these fortified posts, we shall describe only the central island-fortress.
The island of Gha 2 lies about half a mile from the eastern shore of
Copais, over against Topolia (from which it is 2£ miles distant), and
nearly east of Orchomenos. It is a great rock springing directly out of
the lake, and on the northwest, where the face is almost perpendicular, it
rises to a height of some 70 ni. above the plain. From this point the
ground gradually falls away on the west and south to half that altitude,
and still more sharply to the east, the north gate being only 12 m. above
the plain. Following the very edge of the rock, so as to economize
every inch of space, runs the fortress-wall, — a mighty rampart some
20 feet thick, and about three quarters of a mile in circuit. It is thus
the largest civcumvallation of the Mycenaean Age.3 According to Noack,
1 I*ake, Ulricbs, Visclier, Forchhammer, and Lolling credit the Minyae with this
colossal undertaking ; but Ciutins, Kambatiis. and Noack, with hotter reason,assign it
to Crates, the engineer of Alexander the Great. (Cf. Strabo, p. 407.)
2 This name, as well as Gla, is probably only a clipped form of the Albanian
name Goulds = castle. The peasants call the place Palaiokastro.
8 The area enclosed is about 200,(100 sq. m. For the corresponding measurements
of other Mycenaean citadels, see page 3fcS9.