More than War. Symbolic Functions of Ancient Fortifications

防御工事通常只被认为是保护性建筑，很少被视为美学纪念碑，大多数情况下只在防御方面进行研究。然而，它们往往包含明显的象征性目的，远远超出了防御的范围。它们表面上的防御性特征往往向它们的观察者传达更重要的信息，这些信息很少被考虑到，直到现在也没有得到充分的研究。根据最新的建筑象征理论，这些都将在项目研究中进行深入分析，从而首次挖掘出防御工事的重要社会作用。通过美观的设计、纪念碑的设置、战利品或铭文的使用，防御工事可以讲述一个城市的人口或统治者的财富和权力，也可以讲述私人捐助者的独立、共同身份、传统、忠诚和自豪。它们也可作为历史、公共或宗教纪念物。受益于雅典地理位置的优势，在计划的项目中，将通过研究学术文献和现场观察来分析希腊和罗马防御工事的这种象征性或代表性功能。它们将被仔细审视它们的可识别性，区别和相互重叠，它们的表达方式和形式，它们的含义，某些历史，政治或社会条件的依赖性以及它们在古代区域，政治和时间范围内的一般变化性。因此，对古代防御工事的认识将从迄今为止常常被局限为军事防御建筑的解释扩大到更广泛地考虑这些纪念碑，将其视为建筑空间的故意构思的元素、社会自我概念的镜子和重要信息的承载者。

Fortifications are commonly considered as protective constructions only, they rarely count as aesthetic monuments and are mostly studied only under defensive aspects. However, they frequently contain clearly recognisable symbolic aims which go far beyond defence. Their ostensible defensive character often communicates even more important messages to their beholder which have been rarely taken into account and have not been adequately studied until now. Based on the latest symbol-theory of architecture, these are to be thoroughly analysed in the projected study, and thus the important social role of fortifications is to be carved out for the first time. By aesthetic design, monumental setting, use of spoils or inscriptions, fortifications may tell of the wealth and power of a citys population or ruler, but also of independence, common identity, traditions, loyalties and pride of private benefactors. They may also serve as historic, public or sacral monuments. Benefiting from the advantage which the location in Athens provides, such symbolic or representative functions of Greek and Roman fortifications will be analysed in the intended project by studying the scholarly literature and by on-site observation. They are going to be scrutinized regarding their identifiability, distinction and mutual overlap, their means and forms of expression, their meanings, dependencies of certain historical, political or social conditions as well as their general changeability in the regional, political and chronological horizon of antiquity. The perception of ancient fortifications is thus to be dilated from the hitherto often limited interpretation as military defensive buildings into a wider consideration of those monuments as deliberately conceived elements of built space, mirrors of social self-conception and bearers of significant messages.