16 - City

Question 1

Typological definition of city

Answer 1

Existence of spaces such as marketplace or acropolis or of specific building such as theatre or definition. Political definition: existence of a clearly defined territory, political autonomy. Cultural: urban life-style (theatre, fountains, luxurious obj, etc.)

Question 2

Eschatia

Answer 2

Wilderness; mountains, rivers, forest.

Question 3

Chora

Answer 3

Agriculturally used land between the cemeteries and eschatia

Question 4

Asty

Answer 4

Urban centers. Surrounded by cemeteries outside walls.

Question 5

Ideal structure of city

Answer 5

In center, the asty. Right outside the walls, the cemeteries. Agricultural land outside of that. Eschatia - wild outdoors. Landscapes used as boundaries/natural borders - rarely straight borders at this point.

Question 6

City construction of Athens - three components to look for in a city

Answer 6

1. An elevated area within the fabric of the city - should presuppose that is the acropolis. Even in flat areas, the area of the divinity is called acropolis. 2. Open, public, relatively large space like Agora (religious, economic, political center). 3. Fortification walls

Question 7

City that decided to have two acropolis

Answer 7

Argos. Rare phenomenon. Usually house different divinities.

Question 8

Fortification walls

Answer 8

At some point, built even if they serve no practical functions/no enemies. Important for definition of city/decorum. Aphrodisias, for example, but a wall around the asty with old funerary monuments when an important official visited in mid-4th cent. CE. Makes no sense - stable Romans at the time.

Question 9

Naturally grown cities

Answer 9

Early nucleus that expands if everything goes well. Creating new structures according to needs of the moment, not a strict plan. Perfect example - Rome and Athens. Small streets, not orthogonally planned, moving in all directions without comprehensible plan.

Question 10

Why orthogonal planning?

Answer 10

Health/sanitation: circulation of air, sewer system
Circulation of traffic - goods and commerce - to the port. No need to be perfectly aware of city topography.
Transport of troops - quick movement to the wall
Prevention of disasters such as barricade, fire.

Question 11

Habuba Kabira

Answer 11

3500 BCE. Syria. Example of preplanned city far before grid system - from north to south, divided with large avenues.

Question 12

Dur-Sharrukin

Answer 12

700 BCE. Preplanned city - built as big square roughly divided into 4 areas. Not yet purely orthogonal

Question 13

El Lahun and Amarna

Answer 13

1800 and 1400 BCE - Egyptian worker’s settlements.

Question 14

Miletos

Answer 14

Theoretical conception of planned cities is associated with Hippodamos. Divided into rectangular insulae by avenues (plateia) and smaller crossroads (stenopos). Two big streets dividing city into four parts: card maximus (N/S) and decumanus maximus (E/W) (Added to concept of grid system by Romans)

Question 15

Megara Hyblaia

Answer 15

730 BCE, Sicily. Not orthogonal but streets creating diagonals. Center of city remained unused for some time - left for later development of city center.

Question 16

Hippodamos

Answer 16

Perhaps not father of grid system, but the guy who perfected it enough that he is associated with it.

Question 17

Olynthos

Answer 17

432-348 - Not rebuilt, allowing for excavation. Grid part probably made in 432 according to grid system. Houses are originally all same size, but people start buying their neighbors’ houses and incorporation them.

Question 18

Priene

Answer 18

Second half of 4th cent., Asia minor. Grid system strictly followed. Streets following the fluctuation of the hill without deviating from the orthogonal grid system. Few flat areas - in order to create Agora, had to level the hill (same with other important structures).