Amphipolis Bridge: An Ancient Crossing in Greece
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.6
- Popularity
- Medium
- Country
- Greece
- Primary era
- Classical
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Classical
- Civilizations
- Ancient Greek
- Site type
- Infrastructure
- Remains
- Bridge
On this page5 sections
History
Amphipolis Bridge is an ancient and medieval crossing in Greece, associated with the ancient Macedonian city of Amphipolis and later with the small Byzantine settlement of Marmari. Constructed in the fifth century BCE, it connected these settlements with the Strymon Valley and served as a major transportation route in antiquity.
The bridge in the Peloponnesian War
The bridge played a role in the siege and capture of Amphipolis during the Battle of Amphipolis in 424–422 BCE. The Spartan commander Brasidas, whose campaign led to the Spartan capture of the city in 424 BCE, used the crossing in the wider military events surrounding the city. The Greek historian Thucydides provides the earliest written information about the bridge in his account of the Peloponnesian War, the conflict between Athens and Sparta and their allies.
Discovery and excavation
The remains were discovered accidentally in September 1977. Excavations followed under the direction of the archaeologist Dimitris Lazaridis, revealing structural evidence for the bridge and its relationship with the fortifications of Amphipolis.
Remains
Bridge structure and riverbank remains
The bridge was an approximately 275-metre-long stone arch structure crossing the Lower Strymon. Its surviving remains include foundations on the riverbank, together with parts associated with the fortifications and infrastructure of the crossing. The remains of the bridge and the city fortifications are preserved at the site.
Excavations brought to light approximately 1,250 piles and tree trunks belonging to the bridge’s fortifications and infrastructure, as well as about 220 stakes. A pile is a long structural member driven into the ground or riverbed to support a bridge or other construction. Surviving piles with metal fittings are preserved or displayed in an archaeological museum.
