The Amphipolis wooden bridge on which Alexander the Great and Paul the Apostle walked

The Spartan general Brasidas walked on it when he conquered it Amphipolis in 424 BC and later it was crossed by Philip II and his descendants throughout the Hellenistic period when the city was part of the Macedonian kingdom and the center of Macedonian trade.

In early Christian times, he passed through there – in 49/50 AD – saint Paul going from Philippi to Thessaloniki and in the 9th century Slavic rulers who invaded with violence, while in the 13th-14th centuries monks and abbots passed through its deck every day, as the area of ​​Amphipolis was part of the joint monasteries of Mount Athos.

It was the wooden bridge of Amphipolis for which the first written reference exists in Thucydides (History of the Peloponnesian War IV, 103) and based on this testimony its dating is placed in the classical times and specifically at the end of the 5th BC. century (480-323 BC).

Thucydides even mentions that it was a pivotal point for his outcome Peloponnesian War, when the Spartan general Brasidas prevailed over Cleon and secured access through it to the city and the port of Amphipolis. Apart from Thucydides, references are also found in other well-known ancient authors, in Herodotus, in Euripides, but also later in Arrian’s “Alexander Anavasis”, where the crossing of the Strymons by Alexander the Great in his campaign to Asia is described.

After the defeat of the Macedonians in Pydna in 168 BC. Amphipolis became part of it Roman Empire and maintained its importance and importance, due to its position and its intense development, to which the crossing of the Egnatia Road also contributed.

Repair work was done both during the Hellenistic and Roman times by Emperor Augustus (27 BC-14 AD) or Tiberius (14 AD-37 AD), but also in Byzantine times, where many monasteries of Mount Athos held shares in the area and exploited large areas.

In 1861, however, it must have already been destroyed or was in a very bad condition, as evidenced by the descriptions of the French archaeologist Léon Heuzey who, together with the architect Honoré Daumet, toured Macedonia and mention that the crossing of the river was made by rafts near the area of ​​the two Byzantine towers.

The bridge connected the banks of the river Strymonas, connecting the city to the port, and its role in the economic and commercial development of the city was important, since the export of shipbuilding timber and the mineral stock of Mount Pangaio to the hinterland and southern Greece took place through waterways.

It was organically connected with Gate III of Amphipolis, which was apparently built together with the extension of the wall of 424-422 BC, according to the description of Thucydides, in order to strengthen the defense of the pass. In order to protect it from the floods of the river Strymons, it was reinforced with wooden stakes driven into the sandy soil of the area.

The wooden bridge of Amphipolis was 275 meters long, 5.5-6 meters wide and was made of hundreds of wooden stakes whose ends were chipped to end in a spike sometimes mounted on an iron head, also sharp.

The excavations and the 101 stakes that have survived to this day

The first archaeological data of the bridge came to light during the excavations by Dimitris Lazaridis -who has identified his name with the discovery of the archaeological site of Amphipolis- in 1977-1978, when its piled infrastructure was revealed. The elements found – stakes, tree trunks and beams – were more than 1,250 but its state of preservation was not good for all. Only 220 stakes were brought to the surface. The moisture of the soil, which was next to the river, kept the wood in very good condition, but when exposed to the outside environment it deteriorated and decay occurred.

Today 101 piles and pile molds of the infrastructure are preserved and are located in a part of the archaeological site of Amphipolis very close to the point of their original position during antiquity.

The stakes have been found on the banks of the river and it is estimated that a truss system (with cross beams) must have been developed on them, where the wooden deck would be fixed. Due to the destruction, the archaeologists do not know the continuity of the bridge in the river, as well as on the opposite bank.

The stakes are now lined up, covered by metal roofing, which was installed in the 1970s and needs replacing.

The Ministry of Culture included the replacement of the roof in the Recovery Fund, in a project with a budget of 1.2 million euros, the implementation of which will be supervised by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Serres, and the matter was discussed during the last meeting of the Central Archaeological Council. The roof will be metal, with a total area of ​​approximately 800 sq.m., measuring 17m. X 46.60 m., with a maximum height of 4.30 meters and a minimum of 3 meters.

According to the study, the installation of the new roof is aimed at respecting the historicity of the monument, highlighting its architectural morphology and its values ​​in general, the harmonious integration into the natural landscape of the area, as it was formed after its unveiling, as well as ensuring the necessary protection in it.

On the outside of the roof, cross stiffening links (windbreaks) will be placed and between the pillars a mesh of rectangular cut to protect the monument from birds and animals. The selection of this grid was made on the one hand so as not to obstruct the view of the monument with the stakes, as the area is open to visitors, and on the other hand to ensure its necessary protection.

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