The Frankish Towers of Boeotia: A comparison with their European predecessors

How were the Frankish towers in Greece used? This is the question that this thesis addressed by comparing the towers in Boeotia in Greece and the towers in West Europe. Before discussing the towers themselves, the settings and societies in which the towers were built were discussed. The feudal system, which was present in both societies, was not written down for the local aristocracy in Greece, which resulted in that aristocracy welcoming in the Franks who would give make their position of power legal. The chapters on the towers themselves were divided in three parts: origin, which dealt with how the towers came to be and when they were first built; Architecture, in which the physical appearance and features were discussed; and lastly the function-part which dealt with the question on how the towers were used. From the material evidence we can conclude that the main function of the towers was not military. The symbolic function seems to have been present in both the European towers...Show moreHow were the Frankish towers in Greece used? This is the question that this thesis addressed by comparing the towers in Boeotia in Greece and the towers in West Europe. Before discussing the towers themselves, the settings and societies in which the towers were built were discussed. The feudal system, which was present in both societies, was not written down for the local aristocracy in Greece, which resulted in that aristocracy welcoming in the Franks who would give make their position of power legal. The chapters on the towers themselves were divided in three parts: origin, which dealt with how the towers came to be and when they were first built; Architecture, in which the physical appearance and features were discussed; and lastly the function-part which dealt with the question on how the towers were used. From the material evidence we can conclude that the main function of the towers was not military. The symbolic function seems to have been present in both the European towers and the Greek towers, though the European ones are way better dressed and the question remains why this was not deemed necessary or not possible in Greece. Although it was assumed that the towers were lived in by the different lords, the material seems to point towards the idea that the towers were not built for habitation. The lack of both lighting and heat would make continuous habitation uncomfortable at best. In the last chapter this data was combined to see where the differences and similarities were between the towers, this was followed by a possible explanation for these differences and similarities. The thesis concluded with the suggestion that the areas around the towers should be excavated to provide insight in possible other buildings around the towers which could provide a lot of information on the activities in and around the towers.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

The Frankish Towers of Boeotia: A comparison with their European predecessors