In a wealth of detail, the Siceliot historian Diodorus Siculus recounted the epochal undertaking of the construction of the Dionysian Walls and the Euryalus Fortress, describing the various phases of construction.
As reported by the Agira-born writer, 70,000 slaves and 6,000 oxen divided into teams were used to construct the entire city walls, at a rate of 300 tonnes of blocks per day. Speaking about the tyrant, Diodorus also wrote: “Dionysius and his collaborators not only exercised careful control over the progress of the construction but also participated in the work”.
The sovereign therefore represented a driving element, even encouraging competition between the workers.
