Presentation

Welcome to Pompilos. The purpose of this site is to spread the book entitled The Nautical Origin of Greek Architecture and Sculpture, which is still in progress. The main thesis of the book, the nautical hypothesis, argues that the Greek temple, and Greek public buildings in general, originated from boats stored and turned over upon supports, with the space under them being used to bivouac, to meet, to banquet and to store gear and commercial products. As the meeting point for the captains of a fleet, ὁ ναὸς οἶκoς (“the arsenal”) became ὁ ναός (“the temple”). On the other hand, the statue of the god venerated in temple originated from the ἱερὰ ἄγκυρα or “sacred anchor”, the one for desperate situations. This anchor was used in naval battles as a throwable weapon (δελφίς), propelled from the top of a pole into the enemies’ boats. Thus it became the ensign of the king, of the fleet and finally of the polis. The naval hypothesis sheds new light on the study of the symbols of the royalty, and so to the study of the classical and other ancient cultures.

Greek galley overturned and stored upon support walls

In the download section I will make the chapters of the book available to download as I finish them, or their equivalent papers if I manage to publish them in scientific journals.

Ἀνερρίφθω κύβος · Alea iacta esto. Men. 65.4.

Download

Published articles

PDF icon 2026: The naval origin of classical entablature in the light of the clay model of a galley from Gytheion, Frontiers of Architectural Research 15, pp. ?.

PDF icon 2020: The Ship in the Cave: The Greek and Nautical Origin of Buddhist Architecture, Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering 19 (1), pp. 48-69.

Drafts and translations of articles to Spanish

PDF icon Plan of the Book · English, 12 pages (219 kB).
Date: 2005-08-16. Descargas: 12474.

PDF icon Plan de la obra · Español, 12 páginas (211 kB).
Fecha: 2005-08-16. Descargas: 13150.

PDF icon Del shadouf a las columnas dórica y jónica · Español, 10 páginas, 3 figuras del autor (2 MB).
Fecha: 2007-10-25. Descargas: 13814.

PDF icon Capítulos 1, 2 y 3 · Español, 76 páginas, 15 figuras del autor (736 kB).
Fecha: 2005-08-16. Descargas: 9261.

PDF icon El barco en la cueva: el origen griego y náutico de la arquitectura budista · Español, 19 páginas (15 MB).
Fecha: 2019-12-17. Descargas: 3818.

PDF icon El origen naval del entablamento clásico a la luz del modelo en arcilla de una galera encontrado en Gitio · Español, 20 páginas (53 MB).
Fecha: 2026-02-08. Descargas: 35.