Keywords
gate defence
Moesia Inferior
Thrace
siege
military architecture
Byzantium
How to Cite
Abstract
The author presented the role of gates in the defensive system of Roman and early Byzantine fortifications of Moesia Inferior and northern Thrace. The aim of the article is to recreate the methods of defending the gates during the siege and to assess the effectiveness of individual architectural solutions that were used in the fortresses. The author used the historical and archaeological method. He used the results of archaeological research, preserved elements of defensive architecture and written sources. He discussed the subsequent stages of the siege of the fortress: shelling from projectile machines, assault using siege equipment and digging under the walls. He showed that the construction of the gates and the arrangement of the towers were intended to enable effective flank fire and make a direct attack on the entrance to the fortress more difficult. The solutions used in Lower Moesia and northern Thrace corresponded to the general principles of Roman fortification art, but were adapted to local terrain conditions and changing methods of conducting siege operations. The author pointed out that further reconstruction of the defence of Roman and early Byzantine fortresses requires combining archaeological data with the testimonies of military authors from the era.
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