Greece Restores Ancient Phocian Wall at Thermopylae

The news in Greek

1. υπουργείο  (n.)
   Η κυβερνητική υπηρεσία που είναι υπεύθυνη για έναν συγκεκριμένο τομέα, όπως ο πολιτισμός ή η παιδεία. ↩︎
2. επισκευάζω
   Φτιάχνω κάτι που είναι χαλασμένο ή παλιό για να γίνει καλό και χρήσιμο πάλι. ↩︎
3. τείχος  (n.)
   Ένας μεγάλος και ψηλός τοίχος που χτίζεται για να προστατεύει μια πόλη ή μια περιοχή. ↩︎
4. μάχη  (f.)
   Μια ένοπλη σύγκρουση μεταξύ δύο ή περισσότερων ομάδων ή στρατών. ↩︎
5. μακρύς
   Κάτι που έχει μεγάλο μήκος από τη μια άκρη ως την άλλη. ↩︎
6. σύντομα
   Σε λίγο χρόνο, στο άμεσο μέλλον. ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: How long is the Phocian Wall?

Question 2: Who used the wall during battle against the Persians?

Vocabulary

Greek	English
υπουργείο  (n.)	Ministry
επισκευάζω	to repair
τείχος  (n.)	wall
μάχη  (f.)	battle
μακρύς	long
σύντομα	soon

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Greece’s Ministry of Culture has announced that it is proceeding with the consolidation and restoration of the Phocian Wall at Thermopylae, one of the most significant monuments in the historical landscape of the site where the final phase of the battle between the Greeks and the Persians took place.

The wall currently stands in a poor to moderate state of preservation. Prolonged exposure to the elements and seismic stress have caused considerable damage, leaving the structure barely recognisable and inaccessible to visitors.

The work is being carried out by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Fthiotida. According to approved plans, the masonry will be repaired and rebuilt using original stone material, which will be repositioned in its initial or documented new locations. Scattered stones will also be reinstated and the wall’s geometry restored.

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said that Thermopylae is a place of unique historical and symbolic importance, and that the Phocian Wall, near the hill of Kolonos where the battle’s final phase unfolded, is a key piece of evidence of the ancient fortifications of the pass. She added that the restoration forms part of a broader plan to connect the various points of interest at Thermopylae — including the battlefield, the hill of Kolonos, the modern Heroon of Leonidas, and the Thermopylae Historical Information Centre — through a network of walking paths and viewing areas, creating a unified and organised archaeological site.

The Phocian Wall, referred to by Herodotus as the “Phocian wall,” is located to the south-west of the hill of Kolonos in the Middle Pass, where the hot springs that gave the area its name are found. It was originally built in the 6th century BC by the Phocians to repel Thessalian raids during the Sacred Wars. In 480 BC, the Spartans and their allies hastily repaired it and used it as their main defensive bulwark. The Spartan camp was positioned behind it.

Systematic archaeological research at the site was organised in 1939 by Spyridon Marinatos. The discovery of numerous iron and bronze spearheads and arrowheads from the 5th century BC on the hill of Kolonos — many of eastern origin — helped confirm the site’s identification as the Thermopylae battlefield. The wall stretches approximately 100 metres in length. During the first phase of the current project, excavation and vegetation clearance revealed its true outline, while a bronze coin from the Hellenistic period (323–319 BC) was among the finds recovered.