List of ancient Greek and Roman monoliths
# List of ancient Greek and Roman monoliths

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 $t/m^3$ for marble and 2.25 $t/m^3$ 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 | ~1110.25 | |
| ~650 BC | Fortification wall | Leontinoi, Sicily | Wall blocks | ~1111.75 | |
| ~640 BC | Temple of Poseidon | Isthmus, Greek mainland | Wall blocks | ~1110.5 | |
| ~630 BC | Temple A | Prinias, Crete | Frieze slab | ~1110.5 | |
| ~610–590 BC | Sounion Kouros | Sounion, Greek mainland | Figure | 111~2 | |
| ~610–590 BC | Colossus of the Naxians | Delos, Greek isles | Base | ~1134 | |
| ~610–590 BC | Colossus of the Naxians | Delos, Greek isles | Figure | 11~23 | |
| ~590–580 BC | Temple of Artemis | Kerkyra, Greek isles | Pediment slab, central | ~1113.25 | |
| ~590–580 BC | Temple of Artemis | Kerkyra, Greek isles | Architrave block | ~1115 or 6.25 | |
| ~565 BC | Temple of Apollo | Syracuse, Sicily | Stylobate block | ~1124 | |
| ~565 BC | Temple of Apollo | Syracuse, Sicily | Column shaft | ~1135 | |
| ~565 BC | Temple of Apollo | Syracuse, Sicily | Architrave block | ~1120.25 | |
| ~555 BC | Olympieion | Syracuse, Sicily | Stylobate block | ~1120.25 | |
| ~560–550 BC | Temple of Artemis | Ephesos, Asia Minor | Architrave block, central | ~1141.25 | |
| ~550–530 BC | Temple C | Selinunte, Sicily | Stylobate block | ~1112.5 | |
| ~550–530 BC | Temple C | Selinunte, Sicily | Architrave block | ~1116 | |
| ~540 BC | Temple of Apollo | Corinth, Greek mainland | Column shaft | ~1126 | |
| ~540 BC | Temple of Apollo | Corinth, Greek mainland | Architrave block | ~1110 | |
| ~535 BC | Temple D | Selinunte, Sicily | Architrave block | ~1113.75 | |
| ~525 BC | Temple FS | Selinunte, Sicily | Architrave block | ~1121 | |
| ~520 BC | Kouros of Apollonas | Naxos, Greek isles | Figure | 11~69 | |
| ~520 BC | Temple of Apollo | Naxos, Greek isles | Lintel block | ~1122 | |
| ~520 BC | Temple of Apollo | Naxos, Greek isles | Threshold | ~1122.25 | |
| ~520 BC | Temple at Parikia | Paros, Greek isles | Lintel block | 11~22 | |
| ~520–409 BC | Temple of Apollo ('GT') | Selinunte, Sicily | Column drum in quarry (Cave di Cusa) | ~1173 | |
| ~520–409 BC | Temple of Apollo ('GT') | Selinunte, Sicily | Architrave block | ~1140 | |
| ~520–409 BC | Temple of Apollo ('GT') | Selinunte, Sicily | Cornice block | ~1112.5 | |
| ~515 BC | From about that time on, cranes are assumed to have become common on Greek construction sites, leading to a sharp reduction of block sizes. | From about that time on, cranes are assumed to have become common on Greek construction sites, leading to a sharp reduction of block sizes. | From about that time on, cranes are assumed to have become common on Greek construction sites, leading to a sharp reduction of block sizes. | From about that time on, cranes are assumed to have become common on Greek construction sites, leading to a sharp reduction of block sizes. | From 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 | ~1119 | |
| ~500–406 BC | Olympieion | Akragas, Sicily | Abacus block, central | ~1111.5 | |
| ~500–406 BC | Olympieion | Akragas, Sicily | Architrave block | ~1119.25 | |
| ~500–406 BC | Olympieion | Akragas, Sicily | Architrave block | ~1111 | |
| ~500–406 BC | Olympieion | Akragas, Sicily | Architrave block | ~1114 | |
| ~500–406 BC | Olympieion | Akragas, Sicily | Metope block, lower (angle) | ~1113.5 | |
| ~500–406 BC | Olympieion | Akragas, Sicily | Cornice block | ~1111.5 | |
| ~500 BC | Temple of Aphaia | Aigina, Greek isles | Column shaft | ~1116 | |
| ~480–460 BC | Temple ER | Selinunte, Sicily | Architrave block | ~1117 | |
| ~468–457 BC | Temple of Zeus | Olympia, Greek mainland | Stylobate block | ~1118.5 | |
| ~468–457 BC | Temple of Zeus | Olympia, Greek mainland | Architrave block | ~1116.5 | |
| ~460 BC | Temple of 'Poseidon' | Paestum, Magna Graecia | Architrave block | ~1111.5 | |
| ~448–437 BC | Parthenon | Athens, Greek mainland | Architrave block | ~1119.5 | |
| ~448–437 BC | Parthenon | Athens, Greek mainland | Lintel block, largest | ~1119 | |
| ~437–432 BC | Propylaia | Athens, Greek mainland | Architrave block, central | ~1112.5 | |
| ~437–432 BC | Propylaia | Athens, Greek mainland | Lintel block, largest | ~1112.25 | |
| ~437–432 BC | Propylaia | Athens, Greek mainland | Lintel block, relieving | ~1118.75 | |
| ~437–432 BC | Propylaia | Athens, Greek mainland | Ceiling beam, west porch | ~1110 | |
| ~421–405 BC | Erechtheion | Athens, Greek mainland | Block over Pandroseion | ~1111.5 | |
| ~421–405 BC | Erechtheion | Athens, Greek mainland | Lintel block, north door | ~1117.25 | |
| ~421–405 BC | Erechtheion | Athens, Greek mainland | Ceiling beam, north porch | ~1110 | |
| ~420 BC | Temple of Segesta | Segesta, Sicily | Architrave block | ~1112.5 | |
| ~366–326 BC | Temple of Apollo | Delphi, Greek mainland | Architrave block | ~1119.25 | |
| ~340 BC | Temple of Zeus | Nemea, Greek mainland | Architrave block | ~1116.75 | |
| ~340 BC | Temple of Zeus | Nemea, Greek mainland | Lintel block | ~1118.75 | |
| ~350 BC | First 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. | First 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. | First 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. | First 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. | First 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 | ~1146.75 | |
| ~310 BC | Temple of Apollo | Didyma, Asia Minor | Lintel block | ~1148 | |
| ~310 BC | Temple of Apollo | Didyma, Asia Minor | Jamb | ~1171.5 | |
| ~170 BC | Olympieion | Athens, Greek mainland | Architrave block, largest | ~1123.25 | |

## 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 | Building / Object | Location | Monolith | Weight (in t) | Comment |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1st c. BC | Apollo statue | Vitr. 10.2.13 | Base | ~1151? | |
| 10 BC | Flaminian Obelisk | Rome, Italia | Obelisk | ~1263 | From Roman Egypt by obelisk ship |
| 10 BC | Campensis Obelisk | Rome, Italia | Obelisk | ~1230 | From Roman Egypt by obelisk ship |
| 37–41 AD | Vatican Obelisk | Rome, Italia | Obelisk | ~1361 | From Roman Egypt by obelisk ship |
| 1st–2nd c. | Temple of Jupiter | Baalbek, Roman Lebanon | Column drum, lower | ~1148.5 | |
| 1st–2nd c. | Temple of Jupiter | Baalbek, Roman Lebanon | Architrave-frieze block, central | ~1163 | Lifted by cranes to height of 19 m |
| 1st–2nd c. | Temple of Jupiter | Baalbek, Roman Lebanon | Cornice block, corner | ~1108 | Lifted by cranes to height of 19 m |
| 1st–3rd c. | Granite column | Mons Claudianus, Roman Egypt | Column shaft in quarry | ~1207 | |
| 113 | Trajan's Column | Rome, Italia | Pedestal | 11~77 | |
| 113 | Trajan's Column | Rome, Italia | Base | ~1155 | |
| 113 | Trajan's Column | Rome, Italia | Column drum, typical | 11~32 | |
| 113 | Trajan's Column | Rome, Italia | Capital | ~1153.3 | Lifted by cranes to height of 34 m |
| 2nd c.? | Temple of Apollo | Didyma, Asia Minor | Architrave block | ~1120.5 | |
| 297 | Pompey's Pillar | Alexandria, Roman Egypt | Column shaft | ~1285 | |
| 306–313 | Basilica Nova | Rome, Italia | Column shaft | ~1103 | |
| 357 | Lateran Obelisk | Rome, Italia | Obelisk | ~1455 | From Roman Egypt by obelisk ship |
| 530 | Mausoleum of Theodoric | Ravenna, Italia | Roof slab | ~1230 | Constructed under Ostrogoths |

## Gallery

### Greek monoliths

* Nikandre Dedication (0.25 t)
* Sounion Kouros (~2 t)
* The existence of the U-shaped channels on the stone blocks (here at the Temple of Heracles) points at the use of cranes for lifting them into place.
* Colossos of Apollona (~69 t)
* Column drum(s) in Cave di Cusa (73 t)
* Huge doric capital, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Agrigento

### Roman monoliths

* Flaminian Obelisk (263 t)
* Campensis Obelisk (230 t)
* Vatican Obelisk (330 t)
* Stone of the South (~1,000 t)
* Unnamed monolith (1,242 t)
* Capital of Trajan's Column (53.3 t)
* Shaft of Pompey's Pillar (285 t)
* Lateran Obelisk (455 t)
* Roof slab of Mausoleum of Theodoric (230 t)
