Mycenae

Homer describes Mycenae as "the well built citadel" (Iliad, II.569), "rich in gold" (Iliad, IV.52), and the "broad-wayed city" (Iliad, XI.46). At the time of the Trojan War it was the most powerful of all Greek city states and home of King Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek expedition to Troy. Excavations began in 1840 under Kyriakos Pittakis of the Archaeological Society of Athens, when he revealed the forecourt near the famous Lion Gate. The most dramatic moment of the excavations, however, occurred in 1876 when Heinrich Schliemann uncovered the famous "Grave Circle A." The treasures discovered in the shaft grave proved the validity of Homer's statement that Mycenae was "rich in gold," and after gazing upon a gold death mask Schliemann wired a message to a Greek newspaper stating "I have gazed upon the face of Agamemnon." Schliemann was actually wrong (the mask was at least 300 years older than the time of the Trojan War), but he had offered more proof that the cities about which Homer wrote were real.

	The Lion Gate The Lion's Gate was the main entrance to the citadel of Mycenae. Also visible in this picture are the walls of Mycenae, which encircled the entire citadel and which the ancient traveler Pausanias (II.16.5) says were believed to be the work of the Cyclops. The Lion Gate was built in approximately 1250 B.C.
	Detail of the Lion Gate In between the two lions stands a column which supports an entablature that symbolizes the ceiling of a building, most likely the royal palace. Scholars have offered various interpretations of the scene: some have seen it as a religious symbol signifying a god's or goddesses's protection of the city, while others have interpreted it as a secular symbol of the king's power. Still others have argued that they are not lions at all, but either lionesses, sphinxes, or griffins.
	Grave Circle A Located directly inside and to the right of the Lion Gate, Grave Circle A consisted of 6 shaft graves with the remains of 19 people (9 men, 8 women, and 2 children). Schliemann found numerous tresures within the tomb, including the famous "Mask of Agamemnon."
	The Mask of Agamemnon In his enthusiasm, Schliemann insisted this beautiful gold funerary mask actually belonged to King Agamemnon. Although modern scholars do acknowledge that the strong engraved features (the eyebrows, moustache, and beard) are fitting of royalty, they have determined that the chronology simply doesn't work (the mask dates to the 16th century B.C., while the legendary Agamemnon ruled at least three centuries later). The mask is now on display at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
	The Treasury of Atreus Also known as the "Tomb of Agamemnon," the Treasury of Atreus was built in approximately 1250 B.C. These weren't treasuries, but tombs. Known as "tholos tombs," they are shaped like beehives on the inside. Visible here is the dromos (entranceway), through which the funeral procession would have traveled before the royal remains were interred.
	Interior of the Treasury of Atreus Within the Treasury of Atreus, there is a domed roof which rises 13.5 meters into the air. The interior of the tomb was orignially decorated with bronze sheets or rosettes and spirals on the fronts of the stone blocks (which is indicated by the stone holes for nails that are visible on some of the rocks).

Return to Italy and Greece Main Page