This is a list of ancient monoliths found in all types of Greek and Roman buildings.
It contains monoliths quarried, but not moved quarried and moved quarried, moved and lifted clear off the ground into their position (architraves etc.) quarried, moved and erected in an upright position (columns etc.)
Transporting was done by land or water (or a combination of both), in the later case often by special-built ships such as obelisk carriers. For lifting operations, ancient cranes were employed since ca. 515 BC, such as in the construction of Trajan's Column.
It should be stressed that all numbers are estimations since only in the rarest cases have monoliths been actually weighed. Rather, weight is calculated by multiplying volume by density. The main source, J. J. Coulton, assumes 2.75 t/m3 for marble and 2.25 t/m3 for other stone. For an explanation of the large margin of error, which often leads to widely differing numbers, see these introductory remarks.
Greek monoliths
Below a selection of Greek monoliths sorted by their date.
Date Building / Object Location Monolith Weight (in t) Comment ~650 BC Dedication of Nikandre Delos, Greek isles Figure ~650 BC Fortification wall Leontinoi, Sicily Wall blocks ~640 BC Temple of Poseidon Isthmus, Greek mainland Wall blocks ~630 BC Temple A Prinias, Crete Frieze slab 610–590 BC Sounion Kouros Sounion, Greek mainland Figure 610–590 BC Colossus of the Naxians Delos, Greek isles Base 610–590 BC Colossus of the Naxians Delos, Greek isles Figure 590–580 BC Temple of Artemis Kerkyra, Greek isles Pediment slab, central 590–580 BC Temple of Artemis Kerkyra, Greek isles Architrave block or 6.25 ~565 BC Temple of Apollo Syracuse, Sicily Stylobate block ~565 BC Temple of Apollo Syracuse, Sicily Column shaft ~565 BC Temple of Apollo Syracuse, Sicily Architrave block ~555 BC Olympieion Syracuse, Sicily Stylobate block 560–550 BC Temple of Artemis Ephesos, Asia Minor Architrave block, central 550–530 BC Temple C Selinunte, Sicily Stylobate block 550–530 BC Temple C Selinunte, Sicily Architrave block ~540 BC Temple of Apollo Corinth, Greek mainland Column shaft ~540 BC Temple of Apollo Corinth, Greek mainland Architrave block ~535 BC Temple D Selinunte, Sicily Architrave block ~525 BC Temple FS Selinunte, Sicily Architrave block ~520 BC Kouros of Apollonas Naxos, Greek isles Figure ~520 BC Temple of Apollo Naxos, Greek isles Lintel block ~520 BC Temple of Apollo Naxos, Greek isles Threshold ~520 BC Temple at Parikia Paros, Greek isles Lintel block ~520–409 BC Temple of Apollo ('GT') Selinunte, SicilyColumn drum in quarry (Cave di Cusa) ~520–409 BC Temple of Apollo ('GT') Selinunte, Sicily Architrave block ~520–409 BC Temple of Apollo ('GT') Selinunte, Sicily Cornice block ~515 BCFrom about that time on, cranes are assumed to have become common on Greek construction sites, leading to a sharp reduction of block sizes. ~515 BC Olympieion Athens, Greek mainland Column drum ~500–406 BC Olympieion Akragas, Sicily Abacus block, central ~500–406 BC Olympieion Akragas, Sicily Architrave block ~500–406 BC Olympieion Akragas, Sicily Architrave block ~500–406 BC Olympieion Akragas, Sicily Architrave block ~500–406 BC Olympieion Akragas, Sicily Metope block, lower (angle) ~500–406 BC Olympieion Akragas, Sicily Cornice block ~500 BC Temple of Aphaia Aigina, Greek isles Column shaft 480–460 BC Temple ER Selinunte, Sicily Architrave block 468–457 BC Temple of Zeus Olympia, Greek mainland Stylobate block 468–457 BC Temple of Zeus Olympia, Greek mainland Architrave block ~460 BC Temple of 'Poseidon' Paestum, Magna Graecia Architrave block 448–437 BC Parthenon Athens, Greek mainland Architrave block 448–437 BC Parthenon Athens, Greek mainland Lintel block, largest 437–432 BC Propylaia Athens, Greek mainland Architrave block, central 437–432 BC Propylaia Athens, Greek mainland Lintel block, largest 437–432 BC Propylaia Athens, Greek mainland Lintel block, relieving If in two blocks. 437–432 BC Propylaia Athens, Greek mainland Ceiling beam, west porch 421–405 BC Erechtheion Athens, Greek mainland Block over Pandroseion 421–405 BC Erechtheion Athens, Greek mainland Lintel block, north door 421–405 BC Erechtheion Athens, Greek mainland Ceiling beam, north porch ~420 BC Temple of Segesta Segesta, Sicily Architrave block 366–326 BC Temple of Apollo Delphi, Greek mainland Architrave block ~340 BC Temple of Zeus Nemea, Greek mainland Architrave block ~340 BC Temple of Zeus Nemea, Greek mainland Lintel block ~350 BCFirst in Ionia, the weight of the lifted blocks begins to match again that of the Archaic period, indicating a mastery of the winch and compound pulley hoist by now. ~310 BC Temple of Apollo Didyma, Asia Minor Threshold ~310 BC Temple of Apollo Didyma, Asia Minor Lintel blockIf monolithic. ~310 BC Temple of Apollo Didyma, Asia Minor Jamb ~170 BC Olympieion Athens, Greek mainland Architrave block, largest
Roman monoliths Below a selection of Roman monoliths sorted by their date; the list also includes work on Greek temples which was continued into the Roman era.
Date In case of Egyptian obelisks, date of ship transport to Rome. Building / Object Location Monolith Weight (in t) Comment Apollo statue Vitr. 10.2.13 Base Flaminian Obelisk Rome, Italia Obelisk From Roman Egypt by obelisk ship Campensis Obelisk Rome, Italia Obelisk From Roman Egypt by obelisk ship Vatican Obelisk Rome, Italia Obelisk From Roman Egypt by obelisk ship Temple of Jupiter Baalbek, Roman Lebanon Column drum, lower Temple of Jupiter Baalbek, Roman Lebanon Architrave-frieze block, central Lifted by cranes to height of 19 m Temple of Jupiter Baalbek, Roman Lebanon Cornice block, corner Lifted by cranes to height of 19 m Granite column Mons Claudianus, Roman Egypt Column shaft in quarry Trajan's Column Rome, Italia Pedestal Trajan's Column Rome, Italia Base Trajan's Column Rome, Italia Column drum, typical Trajan's Column Rome, Italia Capital Lifted by cranes to height of 34 m Temple of Apollo Didyma, Asia Minor Architrave block Pompey's Pillar Alexandria, Roman Egypt Column shaft Basilica Nova Rome, Italia Column shaft Lateran Obelisk Rome, Italia Obelisk From Roman Egypt by obelisk ship Mausoleum of Theodoric Ravenna, Italia Roof slab Constructed under OstrogothsAlthough the mausoleum reflects Ostrogothic style, the method for moving the monolithic roof slab and positioning it on top of the building relied on the continuity of Roman techniques into the reign of Theoderic.
Gallery
Greek monoliths
Roman monoliths
See also Record-holding monoliths in antiquity List of largest monoliths in the world List of obelisks in Rome
Notes
References
Sources
Further reading
External links Traianus – Technical investigation of Roman public works