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255 BC. The great harbor-pharos of Massalia. Death of Pyrrhus.
255 BC
With money from the tribute of Carthage and part of the gold from the sanctuary in Tolosa, the architect Georgios, student of Sostratus(architect of pharos of Alexandria), is invited to Massalia to build, in modern day island of Ratonneau, a new great harbor and pharos( plus fortified warehouses and naval defenses) for the glory of Massalia. A new wall with fifty towers mounted with polybolos is also commissioned for the protection of Massalia. The walls of the city enclosed an area of at least five hundred hectares. The Famous Archimedes of Syracuse is also invited to Massalia as the new head of the Museum.(King Hiero II of Syracuse forced his kinsman Archimedes to take the position for some years, to strengthen his relationship with Massaliot League)
The great harbor-pharos of Massalia.
The cothon(an artificial, protected inner hardor) at Massalia(Ratonneau) was divided into a rectangular merchant harbor(this harbor was for the bigger trade ships mostly trading with Alexandria) followed by an inner protected harbor reserved for military use only. This inner harbor was circular and surrounded by an outer ring of structures divided into a series of docking bays for ship maintenance, along with an island structure at its centre that also housed navy ships. Each individual docking bay featured a raised slipway. Above the raised docking bays was a second level consisting of warehouses where oars and rigging were kept along with supplies such as wood and canvas. Archimedes designed block and tackle pulley systems, allowing sailors to use the principle of leverage to lift objects that would otherwise have been too heavy to move. On the “island” structure there existed a raised 'cabin' where the admiral in command could observe the whole harbor along with the surrounding sea. Altogether the inner docking complex could house up to 200 big warships. The entire harbor was protected by an outer wall with polybolos towers and the main entrance could be closed off with iron chains.
The lighthouse of Massalia followed a similar three-stage design to that of the lighthouse/Pharos of Alexandria and was one hundred metres tall. Constructed from large blocks of stone, the tower was made up of three stages: a lower square section with a central core, a middle octagonal section, and, at the top, a circular section. At its apex was positioned a mirror which reflected sunlight during the day; a fire was lit at night. A statue of Poseidon stood atop the lighthouse.
In the military
Strategos Alkaios, a dynatoi company member and Epicurean, impressed by the new invention of Georgios issued the 3rd Massaliot League military reforms.
The new tagma unit:
Three thousand heavy infantry,six hundred crossbow/eight hundred hundred archers,five hundred cavalry,five hundred mounted crossbow/bow archers and five hundred artillery support personal. The artillery is composed of forty torsion ballista,twenty small(suited for volley barrage tactics) lithobolos catapults ,forty polybolos ballista and three build on spot panoptes.
Another change with the third military reformation, is that from now own Massaliot League will have a professional standing army of four instead of two tagmata. One based in Massalia one in Tolosa one in Olbia(province/nomos of Sardinia&Corsica) and one in Lilybaeum(province/nomos of Sicily). In reserves if needed four extra tagmata could be summoned. Lands in Sardinia and Sicily given in the soldiers of the new tagmata.
In agriculture
With the new invention of Archimedes, the screw, a second wave of agriculture revolution started in Massaliot League.
Population
With the revolution in agriculture(water wheels) back in 271 BC, there was a big population boom. The population of Massaliot League is now seven hundred thousands (more than two hundred fifty thousands hellenised Gauls). Massalia is now a mega city of two hundred thousands people equal only to Alexandria and Seleucia.
With money from the tribute of Carthage and part of the gold from the sanctuary in Tolosa, the architect Georgios, student of Sostratus(architect of pharos of Alexandria), is invited to Massalia to build, in modern day island of Ratonneau, a new great harbor and pharos( plus fortified warehouses and naval defenses) for the glory of Massalia. A new wall with fifty towers mounted with polybolos is also commissioned for the protection of Massalia. The walls of the city enclosed an area of at least five hundred hectares. The Famous Archimedes of Syracuse is also invited to Massalia as the new head of the Museum.(King Hiero II of Syracuse forced his kinsman Archimedes to take the position for some years, to strengthen his relationship with Massaliot League)
The great harbor-pharos of Massalia.
The cothon(an artificial, protected inner hardor) at Massalia(Ratonneau) was divided into a rectangular merchant harbor(this harbor was for the bigger trade ships mostly trading with Alexandria) followed by an inner protected harbor reserved for military use only. This inner harbor was circular and surrounded by an outer ring of structures divided into a series of docking bays for ship maintenance, along with an island structure at its centre that also housed navy ships. Each individual docking bay featured a raised slipway. Above the raised docking bays was a second level consisting of warehouses where oars and rigging were kept along with supplies such as wood and canvas. Archimedes designed block and tackle pulley systems, allowing sailors to use the principle of leverage to lift objects that would otherwise have been too heavy to move. On the “island” structure there existed a raised 'cabin' where the admiral in command could observe the whole harbor along with the surrounding sea. Altogether the inner docking complex could house up to 200 big warships. The entire harbor was protected by an outer wall with polybolos towers and the main entrance could be closed off with iron chains.
The lighthouse of Massalia followed a similar three-stage design to that of the lighthouse/Pharos of Alexandria and was one hundred metres tall. Constructed from large blocks of stone, the tower was made up of three stages: a lower square section with a central core, a middle octagonal section, and, at the top, a circular section. At its apex was positioned a mirror which reflected sunlight during the day; a fire was lit at night. A statue of Poseidon stood atop the lighthouse.
In the military
Strategos Alkaios, a dynatoi company member and Epicurean, impressed by the new invention of Georgios issued the 3rd Massaliot League military reforms.
The new tagma unit:
Three thousand heavy infantry,six hundred crossbow/eight hundred hundred archers,five hundred cavalry,five hundred mounted crossbow/bow archers and five hundred artillery support personal. The artillery is composed of forty torsion ballista,twenty small(suited for volley barrage tactics) lithobolos catapults ,forty polybolos ballista and three build on spot panoptes.
Another change with the third military reformation, is that from now own Massaliot League will have a professional standing army of four instead of two tagmata. One based in Massalia one in Tolosa one in Olbia(province/nomos of Sardinia&Corsica) and one in Lilybaeum(province/nomos of Sicily). In reserves if needed four extra tagmata could be summoned. Lands in Sardinia and Sicily given in the soldiers of the new tagmata.
In agriculture
With the new invention of Archimedes, the screw, a second wave of agriculture revolution started in Massaliot League.
Population
With the revolution in agriculture(water wheels) back in 271 BC, there was a big population boom. The population of Massaliot League is now seven hundred thousands (more than two hundred fifty thousands hellenised Gauls). Massalia is now a mega city of two hundred thousands people equal only to Alexandria and Seleucia.
- A small expedition under strategos Dimitrios conquered the lands south of Emporion by defeating some small iberian tribes.
- A temple of Gaul goddess Epona is build in Massalia
- In a small expedition in Thrace, during a confused siege battle, in some narrow city streets, Pyrrhus was trapped. While he was fighting an Thracian soldier, the soldier's old mother, who was watching from a rooftop, threw a tile which knocked him from his horse and broke part of his spine, paralyzing him. A Thracian soldier though frightened by the look on the face of the unconscious king, hesitantly and ineptly beheaded his motionless body. His eldest son, Alexander II, had him cremated with all honours. The new king of Epirus Alexander II, burned the city to the ground.
- Sersor
- Word Count: 770