The proclamation of the Eupalenion aqueduct in Samo, as an International Historic Landmark, by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is a great honor for Greece.
The Eupalenion Aqueduct in Pythagorion, Samos, is a world-renowned monument of human construction, an unforgettable technical work that operated successfully for about 1100 years.
It is a 1036m long tunnel near Pythagorion, Samos, which was built in the 6th century BC. to serve as an aqueduct. Its particular feature was that it was opened at the same time on both sides of the mountain: this trench was open at both ends as Herodotus notes. It was thanks to the ancient “father of history” that it became known. The two tunnels met roughly in the middle with remarkable precision, which was a major achievement for the technology of the time.
Part of the tunnel is currently accessible.
It is calculated, as wikipedia says, that the purpose of the tunnel was not only to transfer water from the source behind the mountain to the capital of Samos (today Pythagorion), but this was done in a way that was not detectable by raiders; who could easily, if they saw a surface pipeline, destroy it and deprive the city of its main resource. From the tunnel, the water ran through the city wall.
The reason why there exist two parallel tunnels is that at the time of designing and implementing the project the source was at a certain height (higher than the level of the tunnel), but after the main stoa was constructed, the source began to flow lower, so it could no longer flow through this course. For this reason it was necessary to open an auxiliary, smaller tunnel at a lower level. The smaller tunnel was drilled through the main gallery, with the help of vertical troughs.
Ancient Greek historian Herodotus, the only source we have for the Eupalinos tunnel, describes both the main and the auxiliary tunnels.
“The rehabilitation, preservation and promotion of this great timeless monument, the Eupalenion Aqueduct, has been one of the priorities of the Ministry of Culture, so I can not hide my joy today, here in front of you,” the Minister of Culture stressed during the inauguration of the restored work.
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Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Tomisti License: CC-BY-SA
Source: newgreektv.com
