Eupalinos

Eupalinos or Eupalinus of Megara was an ancient Greek engineer who built the Tunnel of Eupalinos on Samos Island in the late 6th century BCE. Though the construction of the tunnel has been attributed to the tyrant Polycrates of Samos, it is now considered to be a later construction and having been built between 550 and 530 BCE. In any case, the tunnel was, and is, regarded as a major feat of engineering. • Illustration — Tunnel of Eupalinos • Illustration — Entrance of tunnel The tunnel long conveyed water from a spring near Mount Kastro through the mountain into the ancient city of Samos (modern Pythagoreio). It was the longest one of its time and it still exists. The tunnel was excavated from both ends, but it is not the first one known to be built in this manner -- a tunnel channeling water to Jerusalem was built from both ends at the same time earlier, in the 8th century BCE. The route of the tunnel does not follow a direct line -- for several hundred meters on both ends, it does follow a straight line, but in the middle third, there are several turns.

Also recorded as Eupalinus · Eupalinos of Megara · Eupalinus of Megara