IL RESTAURO DELLE FORTIFICAZIONI ATENIESI NEL 307/6 TRA IMPRENDITORI E BENEFATTORI (MAIER, MAUERBAUINSCHRIFTEN 11)

Abstract

The epigraphic dossier concerning the Athenian wall-building program of 307-304 (Maier Mauerbauinschriften
12) shows several peculiarities, including the lack of an ad-hoc appointed board of overseers and the extraordinary
role played by the official in charge of the dioikesis. Even more surprising are the size and heterogeneous
nature of the portions of work allocated to the contractors, considering that craftsmen operating in
Attica usually specialized in only one area of the construction industry and the productive capacity of their
workshops was relatively modest. Given the structural reasons that determined such a situation, this dossier
cannot point to the sudden appearance of veritable construction firms on the Athenian labor market. Rather,
in light of the exceptional political and military circumstances under which this building program was carried
out, it is likely that our contractors were performing a quasi-liturgical service on behalf of the city.