Από την λατινική λέξη «castrum» που σημαίνει «φρούριο». Πρόκειται για οχυρωμένους οικισμούς, συνήθως πάνω σε ύψωμα, προκειμένου να ελέγχουν τα περάσματα αλλά και να προστατεύουν τους κατοίκους σε περιπτώσεις επιθέσεων. Καθοριστικά για την διαμόρφωση τους ήταν η μορφολογία του εδάφους και ο περιορισμένος χώρος. Μέσα σε ένα κάστρο βρίσκουμε οικίες για την φρουρά, δεξαμενές νερού, αποθήκες, αλλά και ολόκληρους οικισμούς. Ο τύπος των Δυτικών κάστρων μεταφέρθηκε στην Ελλάδα και την Ανατολή από τους Σταυροφόρους. Στη Βορειοδυτική Ευρώπη «κάστρο» σήμαινε την ιδιωτική οχυρωμένη κατοικία του φεουδάρχη, ενώ σε άλλες περιοχές το απλό φρούριο. Στον ύστερο Μεσαίωνα τα κάστρα άρχισαν ν’ αποκτούν πιο συμπαγή μορφή με καλοχτισμένους τοίχους, τάφρους και πύργους, ανεξάρτητα από το αν ήταν ιδιωτική κατοικία ή όχι. Οι Φράγκοι βαρόνοι έχτιζαν κάστρα για να προστατεύσουν την κυριαρχία τους. Τα φεουδαρχικά κάστρα αποτελούνταν από τρία βασικά μέρη: το τείχος, τον κύριο πύργο και την κατοικία του φεουδάρχη, ενώ κατά τη βυζαντινή περίοδο είχαν αμυντική χρήση. Μετά το 12ο αιώνα τα κάστρα αναπτύχθηκαν ταχύτατα και διαμορφώθηκε ο τύπος κάστρου που περιλάμβανε το γήλοφο και την εσωτερική αυλή. Πάνω σ' αυτή τη δομή αναπτύχθηκαν τρία είδη κάστρων: α. με μεγάλο ακρόπυργο, β. χωρίς ακρόπυργο, προστατεύονταν από πύργους κατά μήκος των τειχών και γ. με μικρό ακρόπυργο, περιβαλλόμενο από ομόκεντρα τείχη. Μετά την Γ’ Σταυροφορία (1189-1192) τα κάστρα κτίζονταν σε απόκρημνα σημεία και τα διαμερίσματα του άρχοντα χτίζονταν στην εσωτερική αυλή, με αποτέλεσμα ο ακρόπυργος να μη χρησιμοποιείται ως κατοικία. Όταν το κάστρο ήταν «πεδινό» έσκαβαν γύρω από τους προμαχώνες, τάφρους τις οποίες γέμιζαν με νερό. Το Μεσαίωνα το κάστρο ήταν ο πυρήνας της ζωής, με τον ακρόπυργο να αποτελεί την καρδιά του, στον οποίο αποσυρόταν όλη η φρουρά όταν ο εχθρός κυρίευε τις εξωτερικές οχυρώσεις. Αποτελούσε το πιο δυνατό και οχυρωμένο τμήμα για ένα ακόμα λόγο, στέγαζε την κατοικία του άρχοντα. Σ' αυτό αποθηκεύονταν τα τρόφιμα και τα όπλα και ήταν η γραμμή της τελευταίας άμυνας. Πάντοτε στο κέντρο του υπήρχε ένα πηγάδι για πόσιμο νερό και διέθετε προμήθειες για ενδεχόμενα μακρόχρονη πολιορκία. Παρόλο που τα τείχη του είχαν μεγαλύτερο πάχος, συνδέονταν με τα τείχη του περιβόλου διαμέσου ενός διαδρόμου, ο οποίος επιμηκυνόταν μέχρι την εξωτερική αμυντική περίμετρο, για διαφυγή σε περίπτωση ανάγκης. Όσο αναπτύσσονταν οι πολιορκητικές μηχανές (καταπέλτες, κριοί, εκτοξευτήρες), οι ακρόπυργοι κατασκευάζονταν κατά μήκος του περιτειχίσματος. Ένας από τους στόχους αυτής της αλλαγής ήταν η ανάγκη να δημιουργηθεί ένας κενός χώρος στον οποίο συγκεντρώνονταν τα στρατεύματα για μια πιθανή αντεπίθεση. Από το 15ο και 16ο αιώνα τα πυροβόλα όπλα διαδόθηκαν ραγδαία, εξέλιξη που σηματοδότησε την αλλαγή στην τέχνη του πολέμου και την παρακμή των κάστρων ως οχυρών. Tόσο η κατασκευή όσο και η συντήρηση ενός κάστρου έφυγε από τα χέρια των τοπικών ηγεμόνων και πέρασε στα χέρια του βασιλιά. Στα μέσα του 1300, η ανάπτυξη νέων πολεμικών όπλων, (π.χ. μπομπάρδες) διαφοροποιεί τις αμυντικές ανάγκες. Η αρχή που κυριάρχησε στην κατασκευή των νέων οχυρών προέβλεπε ένα ενιαίο συμπαγές οικοδόμημα. Έτσι πλέον έχουμε χαμηλότερα κάστρα, χωρίς ψηλούς πύργους, οι οποίοι εξέχοντας αποτελούσαν εύκολο στόχο για τα κανόνια. Τώρα τα κάστρα περιβάλλονταν από ακανόνιστα τείχη με πολλές γωνίες. Το πυροβολικό ακροβολιζόταν στους προμαχώνες, σε προεξέχοντα σημεία του τείχους, και προστάτευε το φρούριο. Σταδιακά έγινε δημοφιλές το αστεροειδές σχήμα. Από το 16ο αιώνα και μετά, τα νέα πολεμικά μέσα, έβαλαν τέλος στο ρόλο του κάστρου ως οχυρού. Μονάρχες και ευγενείς έχτιζαν κάστρα για λόγους γοήτρου και επίδειξης.

Characteristic of the large castles, it is the central and usually the tallest tower of the castle. It was the strongest part, so it was the control center and residence of the owner of the castle, while it also served as an observatory. It had its own fortification, independent, protected by other internal fortifications, making access to it difficult. In medieval castles the citadel was the center of the defense organization and was the last refuge of the defenders when the besiegers invaded. The citadels had floors, most of the time without an internal connection between them. The round shape was adopted as it proved to be the most functional defensively.

Latin term meaning "observatory / outpost". These are turrets that are mainly used for the security of crossings or borders, as part of a general network of observatories in visual contact with each other.

Fortifications at the base of the castles. Until the 11th century, in the fortification architecture of Western Europe, artificial hills prevailed, at the "root" of the castle, originally created from soil.

Not a very common term, it means "protruding covered, built watchtower", the outpost. It is a key feature of Venetian castles. We find a representative sample in Acronafplia.

Turkish word meaning castle. The term "good" has been retained in the name of many fortifications in our country. Its good, it means "inner castle". In many cases there is a paraphrase of the term, "koules", "goules", "goulas" and "kale".

The commander of the castle, from the Latin castellanus. As a term it is widely found in the Chronicle of Morea.

The magistrate was the highest office of the state in the late Roman and Byzantine Empires. While in the process he was the title of the supreme commander of the religious-military order of the Knights of St. John of the medieval times. The Grand Master could be an active military commander.

Or "post-bastion", is the intermediate part of the castle wall between two towers. It was usually straight.

From the Greek "tower", which was translated into Latin as "burgus" and returned as "bourtzi". So it is the small castle, usually by the sea. The most famous are Bourtzi of Nafplio and Bourtzi of Methoni.

Today "parapet" is the protective wall to avoid falls on the edge of bridges, terraces, balconies, etc. The original meaning of the word (Italian) referred to the fortification architecture. It is the additional wall at the top of the outer walls of the castle. He protected the defenders and loopholes were formed on it.

Basic architectural element of fortification. The wall that protected the main castle from the outside. There are cases in which it was as strong as the main wall. This is generally the name of the large inner courtyard or square of the castle.

Opening to the wall from where the inhabitants of the castle were defending. The image we have of the loopholes is the serrated formation at the top of a wall, but there were also lower ones.

Protruding part of the wall, which usually had an autonomous fortification and was part of a larger fortress. There are cases where the bastions were cut off from the rest of the castle. A typical example of a bastion can be found in Palamidi. The term is also found as "dapia", "tapia" or "bastion".

The entrance of the castle. It was usually the "Achilles heel" of the fortification and to protect it, defensive turrets were erected, while to block the passage to it, mobile mechanical railings, hatches and defensive ridges, also known as "scaffolding", were used.

Artificial trench in the ground with a large enough depth and width, around the outer wall of the castle in order to enhance its protection. It could be hydrated or anhydrous. Its importance diminished with the development of artillery. It was a necessary accessory in the western castles, which were more "lowland" compared to the Greek ones, most of which are located in places with natural fortifications. The most characteristic moat is that of the fortress of Methoni, which was filled with water from the sea.

323-31 BC: The Hellenistic period concerns the Greek history and the history of the other ethnicities of the East but also the Roman history after the Second Carthaginian War. The name of this era was created based on the term "Hellenist", which is used in the New Testament to denote Greek-speaking Jews, and denotes the widespread use of the Greek language and culture. There is disagreement as to the beginning and end of the period. Some define as its beginning, the battle of Chaeronia in 338 BC, others set as the beginning of the period the death of the Great mercenary in 323 BC. The end is placed in 30 BC. when the last Hellenistic kingdom, Ptolemy, was overthrown by the Romans.

31 BC - 324 AD: The Roman Empire was the state of the ancient Romans (imperium), an evolution of the Roman Republic when most of the power was concentrated in the hands of one man, Caesar or emperor. The state of the ancient Romans went through a lot until it acquired the state of the empire. The term has now prevailed throughout the period of ancient Roman history

330 - 1453: The Byzantine Empire, Byzantium or Eastern Roman Empire was an empire with Constantinople as its capital, the successor state of the Roman Empire geographical area, with time periods starting from the inauguration of Constantinople on the 3rd to the 11th of May. fall with the conquest by the Ottomans (29/5/1453). Her limits within the time limits of life have changed many times. From the Roman Empire, the "Christianized Roman state of the east" was born. During the dynasty of Heraklion, the "Hellenized Empire of the Christian East" took place and finally, from 1204 onwards, with the occupation of Constantinople by the Venetian fleet and the Latin Crusaders, the "Greek Byzantine Empire" was born.

1204 - 16th c. (1566): Latin occupation or Frankish occupation is the name of the time period of Latin rule in Byzantium and the Greek East, after the fall of Constantinople in 1204 AD. by the Franks and the Venetians. In contrast to other periods, such as the Roman Empire or the Ottoman Empire, the chronological limits of its beginning and end are not fixed for all regions, while the origin of the foreigners settled in Greece is different. This period of Latin rule in Greece is characterized by a variety of western rulers: Franks / Burgundians, Flemings, Genoese, Lombards, Venetians, Catalans, Florentines, Navarrese, Knights Templar or Ioannites. All of them had in common their cultural-religious identity: they were Latins and recognized the Pope of Rome as their supreme religious and spiritual leader. The term Frankish rule prevailed in the Greek literature after Charles Hopf in the second half of the 19th century and William Miller in the first half of the 20th century. The name Latin generally identifies Western man, regardless of ethnicity, while the name Frank is identical with Latin and denotes Western European. Finally, the Frank ends up denoting the French-speaking or the French of western origin.

The Venetian rule (Venetian rule) in Greece begins with the conquest of Constantinople by the Venetian and Frankish knights on 13/4/1204, in the context of the 4th crusade. The Venetians took possession of commercial ports and places of crucial importance in the eastern Balkans (Durres, Ionian Islands, Nafpaktos, Pylos, Methoni, Koroni, Patras, Corinth, Argos, Nafplio, Crete, Karpathos, Kasos, Astypalaia, Athens , Tenedos, Gallipoli, etc.). They also occupied half of Istanbul, along with Hagia Sophia.

1453 - 1821: In Greece is called the period of time during which the Ottoman Empire exercised sovereignty in the area of ​​present-day Greece and generally in many areas inhabited, to a greater or lesser extent, by Greeks. Typically the period begins with the fall of Constantinople in 1453, however the Ottomans had penetrated into the wider Greek area, earlier. The spread of the Ottomans took place gradually and finally conquered the entire area of ​​present-day Greece, except June. With the Revolution of 1821, the establishment of the independent Greek state finally began.