Eureka: Science, Art & Technology of the Ancient Greeks @ Herakleidon Museum from 22/08/2018. Ch
Eureka: Science, Art & Technology of the Ancient Greeks | Herakleidon Museum
EUREKA: SCIENCE, ART & TECHNOLOGY OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS
War technology in Ancient Greece - Automata - Antikythera mechanism
Wednsday to Sunday 10:00-18:00
The Association for the Study of Ancient Greek Technology (E.M.A.E.T) and the Museum Herakleidon, following their successful joint presentation of exhibitions at technology museums of China, are consolidating their collaboration and making it official. Going forward, their common goals include the joint organization of exhibitions, the reproduction of technological achievements of the Ancient Greeks and the ambitious plan to create a Center for the Study and Documentation of Ancient Greek Technology. The scientific knowledge of EMAET and its executive team on the one hand and the expertise of the Museum Herakleidon in the field of cultural presentations on the other, guarantee the successful completion of the project.
This collaboration has resulted in the present exhibition of part of the large collection of EMAET and the Museum Herakleidon, units dedicated to the Technology of War in Ancient Greece, Automata, and the Antikythera Mechanism. This exhibition is under the aegis of the Hellenic Ministries of Culture and Sports, and of Education, Research and Religion. The scientific advisors, who are also responsible for the documentation of EUREKA, are Theodosios Tasios, Professor emeritus, National Technical University of Athens and President of EMAET, Clary Palyvou, Professor emeritus, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and Secretary of EMAET, and Constantinos Giannakos, engineer and member of the EMAET Board of Directors. The exhibition was curated by Photini Belliou, architect and specialist in the preservation of archaeological monuments and sites. For the 2018-2019 exhibition period and beginning on August 22nd: In the building located at 37 Apostolou Pavlou street, the unit “War Machines” will present aspects of the military technology of the Ancient Greeks from prehistoric times to the Hellenistic period. War has always mobilized all the available technologies that could potentially prove useful, making the subject very broad. Therefore the exhibition will focus on the following sub-units, which are presented with the help of models, artistic and graphic presentations and informative panels: a. Naval war technology, centered on the great weapon of the Athenians, the trireme, with representations of the ramming of enemy ships. It is thanks to the trireme and its ramming power that the naval battle of Salamis was won. This unit also comprises descriptions of port installations and of the neosoikoi (boathouses) of Piraeus. b) Individual weaponry with equipment models. It is the first time that a museum in Greece will exhibit a life-size model of armor of the prehistoric period, wrought of materials used at that time. c) Great weapons, such as the catapult and the steam-powered cannon, the operation of which has been tested live by the scientific group providing documentation for the exhibition. d) Land and sea fortifications together with the means of attack and defense, such as the ram, the turtle, the Helepolis, moats, entry obstacles, etc. e) Telecommunications of the Ancient Greeks, such as beacons, the hydraulic and most importantly the visual-word telegraph. In the building located at 16 Herakleidon street, the unit “Automata” presents examples of the highest achievements of Ancient Greek technology. These are automated machines (automata) of a practical and scientific interest that were developed or improved during the Hellenistic period. Special mention must be made of the walking Servant of Heron and Philo, which is being exhibited for the first time in Greece. It is a life-size model, the inspiration of professor Theodosis Tassios, created by a group under the direction of the academician Manolis Korres, who sculpted the wooden model. The Servant consists of two mechanisms, one of which controls the offering of water and wine to the guests and the other the walking movement of the model. The first mechanism was researched and constructed by the engineer Spyros Oikonomopoulos and the second by Manolis Korres with the assistance of engineer Dimitris Korres. The exhibition in the Herakleidon building culminates with a large, at a scale of 3:1, metal and plexiglas model of the Antikythera Mechanism constructed for the Museum Herakleidon according to the studies and designs of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. It includes all the latest results of the most recent research.
Opening hours
Wednesday to Sunday 10:00-18:00
Guided tours daily including weekends; reservation required
General admission
Wednesday-Sunday: 7 €
Reduced ticket*: 5 € Young adults 12-18 yrs., students, teachers, pensioners, unemployed * Special ID required Organized group visits*
- School groups: 5 € / per person - Adult groups of over 10 participants: 5 € / per person - Guided tours for adult groups of over 10 participants: 7 € / per person *Prior reservation required
Free admission* Chaperones of school & organized groups, children up to 12 yrs, ICOM members, armed forces, guides and journalists * Special ID required
Family ticket
- 2 adults w/1 child*: 14 € - 2 adults w/2 children*: 19 € * + 12 yrs
