Height of ancient walls?

[Timianus]

Ahh, thanks. A local 'expert' said the walls were only original to the first 4 feet or so!
Thought it was dubious.. ;-)

I recall being told that by the local "expert" tour guide as well, although you can clearly see in a lot of places the demarcation of where different building materials/techniques were used.

Re: the height of the walls of Roma, I remember reading somewhere that the Auerelian walls were originally 30 ft or so, but where later doubled in height. The source escapes me at the moment.

[M. Demetrius]

A sixty foot wall is ladder-proof. :!:

But the more weight of rocks that's added, the more subject to collapse such a wall would be to undermining...something all the Ancients were well acquainted with. That could only work if other seige techniques were being simultaneously used, though. They wouldn't just let you dig a trench up to the wall, singing Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho.
:grin:

[Flavivs Aetivs]

It would make it more vulnerable, depending on how thick the walls were.

[M. Demetrius]

In our day and theirs, gravity is pretty relentless.

[Gesiþ]

Although i've heard of some pretty beastly foundations made for those walls as well. Need to find the source.

[Dan Howard]

The walls around Mycenae are up to 12.5m tall today but would have been higher when first built.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

The Lion Gate.
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A view across the Royal Apartments. Fantastic 'room with a view'
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Indeed, just the size of the remaining cyclopean stonework around the gates makes is appear there must have been more up top!