Mycenae and Troy. Where does the Lion Gate in Mycenae lead - history and legends about the ancient structure Lion Gate in Mycenae: description
Now, speaking about Ancient Greece, many of us immediately recall cities such as and, however, in historical science this is called the classical period of Greece, and there was a time many centuries before these policies, when Mycenae was considered the main city of Greece and this was three thousand years back.
According to legend, Mycenae was founded by the ancient hero Perseus, the winner of Medusa the Gorgon. However, the exact period of the city's founding is unknown. The first people began to settle in this place about 7,000 years ago, and the city itself appeared at least in 1500 BC, when the Mycenaean civilization began to spread throughout Greece and the surrounding islands.
Mycenae during this period is well known to us thanks to the exploits of Hercules, as well as the campaign of the Greek Army against Troy. The campaign was led by the king of Mycenae Agamemnon. However, after the end of the Trojan War in the 12th century BC, the ancient world fell into decay, and Mycenae weakened and almost completely disappeared. By the beginning of the Greco-Persian wars, when Athens and Sparta rose in Greece, Mycenae was finally abandoned.
The ruins of the city are located in Argolis in the Peloponnese not far from the modern capital of the region - Nafplion. One of the neighboring villages can be reached by bus, but the rest is a car trip. A ticket to Mycenae costs 12 euros, for students of Russian universities - 6 euros. The complex is open from 8 to 20.00, but this is most likely during the warm season
Ruins of Mycenae on the right along the course
The current state of Mycenae is the well-preserved outline of a fortress (Acropolis), which appeared at least in 1350 BC, in which a palace and a number of other buildings were located. Several tombs of giants, where kings and nobles were buried, and a small museum with finds from Mycenae. The inhabitants of the city lived mainly on the hillside near the walls of the fortress, but almost nothing remains of these buildings
City plan
City layout
To the right of the road you can see a small pile of stones - these are the remains of the so-called house with the Perseus fountain. This structure, built 3-2 millennia BC, was located above the sacred spring that supplied the city with water; it was erected either in honor of Perseus or the goddess Hera.
The famous Lion Gate of Mycenae - it was from them that archaeologists guessed what city they were excavating
Lions with two altars and a column are the coat of arms of the Atrides, an ancient dynasty of rulers of Mycenae. The heads of the lions, unfortunately, were not preserved; most likely they were made of a different material and looked at those entering the city. And the Lion Gate itself is known thanks to the Greek historian and geographer Pausanias, who made a description of the gate
The Mycenae fortress was surrounded by a powerful cyclopean wall of blocks, some of which weigh 100 tons, which is why such structures are called cyclopean, since it is believed that only the cyclopes could have built them. The wall was 9 meters long, 6 meters wide and up to 7 meters high
Just behind the gate you can see a small outbuilding that was used to lock the gate
Deadbolt niche
To the right of the entrance behind the gatehouse there was a granary
Big ramp
The first structure that visitors to the fortress encountered was one of the tombs of the giants - a large domed tomb, built before the fortress and included in its territory in the 13th century BC
The domed tomb is just one of the buildings on the lower terrace of the fortress. In addition, behind the wall there were residential buildings, a treasury, religious objects and some other buildings, but now it is difficult to recognize them
The bases of the storerooms where vessels with food were stored, including the famous vase depicting Mycenaean warriors
On the right there is a ramp going up the hill
In addition to the domed tomb and several buildings, on the lower terrace of the citadel there was a cult center, a processional road and altars and temples built in the 13th century BC were located here; these objects were destroyed a century later and replaced by ordinary houses
Ruins of the lower terrace, remains of religious buildings
After exploring the lower terrace, you need to climb the zigzag road up to the palace
The ascent starting from the Great Ramp, under which in the 13th century there were rooms where textiles were produced
There were other buildings at the top of the hill besides the palace.
The northern quarter of the fortress, where there were storerooms and several large houses. This part was abandoned before everyone else, as it was badly damaged by the earthquake
Place of the Propylon of the Palace - the gate of the palace complex with columns in the center
View from the palace
Temple ruins
Almond trees
And here is the palace itself, consisting of a large house - a megarun, as well as a courtyard. The ruler's throne was also located here. Archaeologists have proven that there were other buildings on this site 1000 years before the construction of the palace. In the 13th century, the palace was destroyed by fire, but in the 12th century it was restored, although it no longer reflected its former greatness
At the site of the palace, the space for two columns is clearly visible, as well as the entrance. The palace wasn't big
A road descends from the palace to the part of the hill opposite the entrance; in the northern part of the fortress there were a large number of buildings, but the purpose of most of them is unknown
Descent to the northeastern part of the fortress
One of the recognized objects in this part of the citadel is the artisans' quarter, among which is a house with columns (two columns in the courtyard). The purpose of the buildings was determined thanks to the blanks, gold leaf, unfinished ivory products, and unprocessed semi-precious stones found here. There were jugs in the house with columns. All houses built in the second half of the 13th century during the same period died in fire (along with the palace located nearby)
Crafts Quarter
House with columns
Northern storerooms and the road to the northern gate
In this part of the citadel there was a cistern with drinking water
Tank
There was also a tunnel to an underground source located at a depth of 18 meters, now it is blocked
There is no further passage
There was also a side, secondary entrance to Mycenae, built during the reconstruction of the fortress around 1250 BC
North Gate
Outside the walls of the fortress, as was said, most of the inhabitants of Mycenae lived. These stones are all that remains of the buildings outside the walls of the citadel, and these are not even houses, but a complex of 4 trading houses, in one they sold shields, in the second olive oil, in the third they found two plaques with sphinxes, the purpose of the fourth house is unknown
And in front of the entrance to the fortress there was a cemetery, mainly consisting of domed graves and shaft tombs
In addition, behind the hill with the fortress is the Mycenae Museum.
Remains of a fresco from the walls of one of the cult objects
Figurines found on the site of a quarter of religious buildings
Replicas of royal treasures with the famous mask of Agamemnon
Ceramics
Sacred figurines found above one of the shops
And I talked about the graves of the giants themselves, of which there are 4,
Troy (Turkish Truva), second name - Ilion, is an ancient city in the north-west of Asia Minor, off the coast of the Aegean Sea. It was known thanks to the ancient Greek epics and was discovered in the 1870s. during G. Schliemann's excavations of the Hissarlik hill. The city gained particular fame thanks to the myths about the Trojan War and the events described in Homer’s poem “The Iliad,” according to which the 10-year war of the coalition of Achaean kings led by Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, against Troy ended with the fall of the fortress city. The people who inhabited Troy are called Teucrians in ancient Greek sources.
Troy is a mythical city. For many centuries, the reality of Troy's existence was questioned - it existed like a city from legend. But there have always been people looking for a reflection of real history in the events of the Iliad. However, serious attempts to search for the ancient city were made only in the 19th century. In 1870, Heinrich Schliemann, while excavating the mountain village of Gissrlik on the Turkish coast, came across the ruins of an ancient city. Continuing excavations to a depth of 15 meters, he unearthed treasures that belonged to an ancient and highly developed civilization. These were the ruins of Homer's famous Troy. It is worth noting that Schliemann excavated a city that was built earlier (1000 years before the Trojan War); further research showed that he simply walked right through Troy, since it was built on the ruins of the ancient city he found.
Troy and Atlantis are one and the same. In 1992, Eberhard Zangger suggested that Troy and Atlantis are the same city. He based his theory on the similarity of the descriptions of cities in ancient legends. However, this assumption did not have a widespread and scientific basis. This hypothesis did not receive widespread support.
The Trojan War broke out because of a woman. According to Greek legend, the Trojan War broke out because one of the 50 sons of King Priam, Paris, kidnapped the beautiful Helen, the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus. The Greeks sent troops precisely to take Helen away. However, according to some historians, this is most likely only the peak of the conflict, that is, the last straw that gave rise to the war. Before this, there were supposedly many trade wars between the Greeks and the Trojans, who controlled trade along the entire coast of the Dardanelles.
Troy survived for 10 years thanks to outside help. According to available sources, Agamemnon's army camped in front of the city on the seashore, without besieging the fortress from all sides. King Priam of Troy took advantage of this, establishing close ties with Caria, Lydia and other regions of Asia Minor, which provided him with assistance during the war. As a result, the war turned out to be very protracted.
The Trojan horse actually existed. This is one of the few episodes of that war that has never found its archaeological and historical confirmation. Moreover, there is not a word about the horse in the Iliad, but Homer describes it in detail in his Odyssey. And all the events associated with the Trojan horse and their details were described by the Roman poet Virgil in the Aeneid, 1st century. BC, i.e. almost 1200 years later. Some historians suggest that the Trojan horse meant some kind of weapon, for example, a ram. Others claim that Homer called Greek sea vessels this way. It is possible that there was no horse at all, and Homer used it in his poem as a symbol of the death of the gullible Trojans.
The Trojan horse got into the city thanks to a cunning trick by the Greeks. According to legend, the Greeks spread a rumor that there was a prophecy that if a wooden horse stood within the walls of Troy, it could forever defend the city from Greek raids. Most of the city's residents were inclined to believe that the horse should be brought into the city. However, there were also opponents. The priest Laocoon suggested burning the horse or throwing it off a cliff. He even threw a spear at the horse, and everyone heard that the horse was empty inside. Soon a Greek named Sinon was captured and told Priam that the Greeks had built a horse in honor of the goddess Athena to atone for many years of bloodshed. Tragic events followed: during a sacrifice to the god of the sea Poseidon, two huge snakes swam out of the water and strangled the priest and his sons. Seeing this as an omen from above, the Trojans decided to roll the horse into the city. He was so huge that he couldn’t fit through the gate and part of the wall had to be dismantled.
The Trojan Horse caused the fall of Troy. According to legend, on the night after the horse entered the city, Sinon released the warriors hiding inside from its belly, who quickly killed the guards and opened the city gates. The city, which had fallen asleep after the riotous festivities, did not even offer strong resistance. Several Trojan soldiers led by Aeneas tried to save the palace and the king. According to ancient Greek myths, the palace fell thanks to the giant Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, who smashed the front door with his ax and killed King Priam.
Heinrich Schliemann, who found Troy and amassed a huge fortune during his life, was born into a poor family. He was born in 1822 into the family of a rural pastor. His homeland is a small German village near the Polish border. His mother died when he was 9 years old. My father was a harsh, unpredictable and self-centered man who loved women very much (for which he lost his position). At the age of 14, Heinrich was separated from his first love, the girl Minna. When Heinrich was 25 years old and already becoming a famous businessman, he finally asked Minna's hand in marriage from her father in a letter. The answer said that Minna married a farmer. This message completely broke his heart. A passion for Ancient Greece appeared in the boy’s soul thanks to his father, who read the Iliad to the children in the evenings, and then gave his son a book on world history with illustrations. In 1840, after a long and grueling job in a grocery store that almost cost him his life, Henry boarded a ship bound for Venezuela. On December 12, 1841, the ship was caught in a storm and Schliemann was thrown into the icy sea; he was saved from death by a barrel, which he held on to until he was rescued. During his life, he learned 17 languages and made a large fortune. However, the peak of his career was the excavations of the great Troy.
Heinrich Schliemann undertook the excavations of Troy due to unsettled personal life. This is not excluded. In 1852, Heinrich Schliemann, who had many affairs in St. Petersburg, married Ekaterina Lyzhina. This marriage lasted 17 years and turned out to be completely empty for him. Being a passionate man by nature, he married a sensible woman who was cold towards him. As a result, he almost found himself on the verge of madness. The unhappy couple had three children, but this did not bring happiness to Schliemann. Out of desperation, he made another fortune by selling indigo dye. In addition, he took up the Greek language closely. An inexorable thirst for travel appeared in him. In 1868, he decided to go to Ithaca and organize his first expedition. Then he went towards Constantinople, to the places where Troy was located according to the Iliad and began excavations on the Hissarlik hill. This was his first step on the path to the great Troy.
Schliemann tried on jewelry from Helen of Troy for his second wife. Heinrich was introduced to his second wife by his old friend, 17-year-old Greek Sofia Engastromenos. According to some sources, when Schliemann found the famous treasures of Troy (10,000 gold objects) in 1873, he moved them upstairs with the help of his second wife, whom he loved immensely. Among them were two luxurious tiaras. Having placed one of them on Sophia’s head, Henry said: “The jewel that Helen of Troy wore now adorns my wife.” One of the photographs actually shows her wearing magnificent antique jewelry.
The Trojan treasures were lost. There is a deal of truth in it. The Schliemanns donated 12,000 objects to the Berlin Museum. During World War II, this priceless treasure was moved to a bunker from which it disappeared in 1945. Part of the treasury unexpectedly appeared in 1993 in Moscow. There is still no answer to the question: “Was it really the gold of Troy?”
During excavations at Hisarlik, several layers of cities from different times were discovered. Archaeologists have identified 9 layers that belong to different years. Everyone calls them Troy. Only two towers have survived from Troy I. Troy II was explored by Schliemann, considering it the true Troy of King Priam. Troy VI was the high point of the city's development, its inhabitants trading profitably with the Greeks, but the city appears to have been badly destroyed by an earthquake. Modern scientists believe that the found Troy VII is the true city of Homer's Iliad. According to historians, the city fell in 1184 BC, being burned by the Greeks. Troy VIII was restored by Greek colonists, who also built the temple of Athena here. Troy IX already belongs to the Roman Empire. I would like to note that excavations have shown that Homeric descriptions very accurately describe the city.
Long before Greece was called ancient, around 1600 BC, the Eastern Mediterranean was inhabited by a civilization of traders and conquerors. These were the times of myths and legends.
The gods at that time often descended from, and mortals were ruled by their offspring. It was then that the well-known Perseus, the son of Zeus and the daughter of the Argive king, being the ruler of nearby Tiryns, founded the ancient city of Mycenae.
The city became so important that the last prehistoric period of Greek civilization is called “Mycenaean”.
A little history
Whether Perseus founded Mycenae having decided to leave a memory of himself also as a builder of cities, or as a sign of another victory is unknown. But many generations of his descendants ruled it, until the royal dynasty of Atreus came to replace it.
Some legends claim that Perseus chose this place because he lost the tip of his sword here (mykes), others that Perseus found a mushroom (mykes in Greek) and, to escape thirst, drank water from it.
A more prosaic legend says that Mycenae was founded by the Achaeans, an ancient warlike tribe.
Be that as it may, the city is located in a strategically convenient location. They laid it at the foot of one of the mountains in the northeast.
The first mention of Mycenae as a “gold-abundant” or “filled with gold” city was made by Homer in his epic.
Later, the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, during the excavations of Mycenae, found an explanation for this. The tombs and tombs on its territory were filled with gold jewelry and simply trinkets of very skillful work.
All this testified to the fabulous wealth of the rulers and nobility. Their remains were buried under a pile of gold items. Interestingly, not a single iron object was discovered.
Among the gold items found by archaeologists were: tiaras, finely crafted bracelets, copper cauldrons with elegant gold buttons, gold bowls and jugs, many gold animal figurines, death masks, the most famous of which is the mask of Agamemnon, as well as many bronze swords.
The archaeological finds discovered in the tombs became the largest treasure in the world, not only in quantity (more than 30 kg of gold items were found), but also in artistic and historical significance. Later they were surpassed only by the finds found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.
All artifacts were transferred to the Archaeological Museum of Athens and the Archaeological Museum of Mycenae.
The favorable geographical position of Mycenae facilitated the trade of the inhabitants.
Wine, perfume, fabrics, bronze, gold and amber products were exported.
Wealth grew rapidly and the state prospered. Mycenae became very influential, and according to scientists, controlled the entire Mediterranean. Their rulers even led the confederation of Peloponnesian kingdoms.
Mycenaean culture, weapons, and even fashion spread throughout the known world. This was the reason for repeated attacks on the city. However, the Mycenaeans themselves were warlike.
During its existence, Mycenae and the Mycenaean state left a solid mark on history. The rulers of the city are heroes of legends and myths. The history of Mycenae is associated with many tragic and heroic events.
For example, the legendary Trojan War was unleashed by the Mycenaean king Agamemnon. We will not go into the details of the divine civil strife associated with the apple of discord and the struggle of the Olympic beauties for the title of “most beautiful,” in which King Menelaus and his wife Helen the Beautiful were involved, which led to the fall of Troy.
Historians are still inclined to a more realistic version that it was the ruler of Mycenae Agamemnon who went to war against the city, since Troy competed with them for dominance in the region. The siege of the city lasted for a decade.
Researchers attribute these events to the 13th–12th centuries. BC e., but the date is controversial. Victory was granted by the gods to the king of Mycenae because he sacrificed his daughter, for which later, according to one legend, he was killed by his wife, who did not forgive him for the murder of her child.
According to another legend, during the long absence of her husband, Clytemnestra took a lover - Agamemnon's cousin. And when the legitimate spouse returned from the war, they simply killed him, expelled the children - the legal heirs to the throne, and began to rule Mycenae.
The rapid development of the Mycenaean civilization is as inexplicable as its sudden disappearance. It is not established exactly how and why their state fell. Historians have put forward various hypotheses according to which the destruction of the city and the death of the state could have occurred as a result of inter-class clashes.
According to other theories, a series of earthquakes and the destruction of trade routes caused the rapid fall of civilization. It is possible that this was finally facilitated by the invasion of the Sea People - the Dorians. But it is known for sure that the death of the Mycenaean civilization coincided with the end of the Bronze Age.
The “Bronze Collapse” was accompanied by the fall of states and the destruction of large cities. Writing and traditions were lost, trade came to naught. The Eastern Mediterranean has plunged into darkness.
How to get to Mycenae
Time is inexorable, and now we can only see the ruins of a once powerful city. This is all that has reached us.
Mycenae is one of the greatest monuments of the Bronze Age.
The city is located in the east of the rocky ridge of the Peloponnese Peninsula.
The landmark is the town of Mykenes, located 2 km away. Geographical coordinates of the ancient city: 37° 43? 50? With. sh., 22° 45? 22? V. d. From the capital of Greece - approximately 90 km to the southwest of the peninsula, or 32 km to the north from the Gulf of Argolikos.
You can get to Mycenae by regular bus from Athens from the KTEL Athenon bus station in about two hours, the ticket costs about 12 euros. But you can get to Mycenae on your own, armed with a navigator or map. You must first drive to the city of Argo, and from there go to Mycenes, passing another one - the Corinth Canal.
The ruins are located on the territory of the Mycenae archaeological park. Entrance to the park is paid. Tickets are sold at the entrance and cost 8 euros, and children under 18 do not need to purchase tickets. By presenting your ticket, you will be able to see the Mycenaean Acropolis, the Archaeological Museum and the Treasury of Atreus.
When booking an excursion to Mycenae via the Internet or in hotels, check if there is a Russian-speaking guide. As a rule, a visit to Mycenae in such excursions is planned along with other attractions, so the cost depends on the type of transport, the number of places visited and the category of excursion.
What to see
Like many cities, Mycenae had its own ruler, respectively a royal palace and a well-fortified citadel.
The city is surrounded by a 900-meter wall made of huge stones. The construction was carried out, no more, no less, by the giants Cyclops.
Otherwise, how else can one explain the origin of such a powerful defensive structure. The stones are fitted so tightly to each other that there is a feeling of solidity of the walls. Such masonry was commonly called cyclopean. The weight of some stones reaches 10 tons.
The Royal Palace was built on the top of a small hill at the foot of the mountain. This is the so-called upper city - the acropolis.
Not only the reigning dynasty lived here, but also other nobility and aristocracy. This is the center of political governance of the city-state. The territory also contained temples, warehouses and burial places of deceased rulers.
The center of the Royal Palace is a rectangular room with columns and a fireplace in the floor - the royal reception room.
The so-called Megaron served as the administrative center of the city and meetings, conferences and courts were held there.
Megaron also housed the symbol of royal power - the throne. In our time, only the foundation of the structure has been preserved.
The royal chambers are located on the northern side of the palace. A temple with round altars was also erected here, near which an ivory sculpture depicting two goddesses and a child was discovered.
Ordinary people lived outside the walls of the fortress at the foot of the hill. It is interesting that the buildings had a trapezoidal shape, with a short base directed towards the acropolis. Because of this, the entire city from above resembled a fan. The most famous buildings are the House of the Sphinx, the House of the Wine Merchant, the House of Shields and the House of the Oil Trader.
It was possible to get to the fortress only along the road through. This is the most famous architectural landmark of Mycenae.
The gate is built from four powerful limestone slabs. Their span is a square, the side of which is about 3 meters. They were most likely closed with wooden doors, which have not survived to this day.
Their existence can be judged by the indentations on the side walls. The pediment is decorated with a bas-relief depicting two lions, which were a symbol of the royal dynasty and personified its power.
Lions stand on their hind legs and lean them on a column. Their heads have not survived, and according to different versions they were made of either ivory or gold. This is the oldest sculptural composition in Europe.
A large staircase leads to the royal palace, starting from the courtyard at the Lion Gate. It is interesting that bureaucracy already existed then. Clay tablets found during excavations in the palace turned out to be financial reports, lists of slaves and artisans.
Mycenae had the greatest treasure for all fortresses - underground water sources.
The inhabitants dug a deep tunnel to a spring known as the Perseus Fountain. This fountain and a huge defensive wall helped them withstand long sieges.
Behind the walls of the citadel, archaeologists discovered giant domes - tombs of kings and nobles, built from powerful stone slabs. The tombs were camouflaged with a mound, and a long corridor, the dromos, led inside.
The corridor, through a high, up to 7 meters high, monumental entrance, led to an internal vaulted chamber. After the funeral, the tomb was closed, and all entrances were covered with earth. The most famous and well-preserved is the treasury or tomb of Atreus, the father of Agamemnon.
But the tomb was looted long before archaeologists found it.
On the territory of the fortress itself, as a result of excavations, royal graves were discovered, immediately behind the Lion Gate.
Heinrich Schliemann excavated five royal burials here. They contained the remains of nineteen dead, buried under piles of gold jewelry. The most famous find was the golden death mask.
According to Heinrich Schliemann, the mask belonged to Agamemnon himself. Later it turned out that the burials were made several centuries earlier than the time of the legendary Trojan War.
In 1999, the ruins of Mycenae were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Despite the fact that time has not been kind to the city, visiting it is very informative and interesting.
The descendants of the mythical Perseus ruled Mycenae for many generations until they were replaced by the powerful Atreus dynasty, with which many heroic and tragic events are associated. The son of Atreus, the legendary Agamemnon, who led the campaign against Troy, on the advice of the oracle, sacrificed his own daughter Iphigenia to the gods. After his triumphant return from the Trojan War, Agamemnon was killed in the bath by his wife Clytemnestra, who had not forgiven her husband for the death of her daughter. Clytemnestra, in turn, is killed by her son Orestes, distraught with rage, incited by his sister Electra. What can I say? Cruel times, cruel morals. But after thousands of years, the name Clytemenestra became a common noun in Greece for husband-killing wives.
These legends and assumptions found historical confirmation when the German amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, while searching for Troy, accidentally stumbled upon one of the mine burial grounds. Several more burials of the same type were discovered nearby, and then it became clear why Homer called Mycenae rich in gold. During the excavations, an incredible amount of gold and amazingly beautiful things were found (about 30 kg!): jewelry, cups, buttons, military equipment and bronze weapons trimmed with gold. The amazed Schliemann wrote: “All the museums in the world do not possess even a fifth of these riches.” But the most significant find was a golden death mask, which, according to Schliemann, belonged to Agamemnon himself. But the age of the burial grounds did not confirm this version; the burials were made much earlier, before the reign of Agamemnon. An interesting fact confirming the power and wealth of ancient Mycenae is that no iron objects were found. The main materials from which the discovered objects are made are silver, bronze and gold. Artifacts found in mine burials are kept in the Archaeological Museum of Athens and the Archaeological Museum of Mycenae.
The ancient city occupied a strategically convenient position on a hilltop, protected by the massive walls of the acropolis. The laying of defensive walls was carried out without the use of any binder mortar. The stones were fitted so tightly that the walls give the impression of being monolithic. The famous “Lion Gate” led to the acropolis - a cyclopean structure made of stones, decorated with a bas-relief with two lionesses - a symbol of the power of the royal dynasty. The gate is the most famous building of Mycenae, and the bas-relief is considered one of the most significant heraldic monuments in the world.
The citadel contained residential buildings of the nobility and household buildings, many of the buildings were two and three stories high. Not far from the entrance there are remains of burial circle A, where shaft tombs dating back to 1600 BC are located. Items found in them indicate that the burials of royal families were located here.
A large staircase leading to the royal palace began from the courtyard at the Lion Gate. The center of the palace was Megaron - a large room with a fireplace on the floor. The Royal Megaron was the central building, a kind of administrative center. Meetings were held here and trials were held. All that remains of the royal chambers is the foundation. Fragments of the foundation of the red bathroom in which Agamemnon was killed can also be discerned.
At a short distance from the walls of the acropolis, burial circle B was discovered, which includes domed tombs (tholos) - another example of Mycenaean architecture. The most impressive and well-preserved of them is the so-called “Treasury of Atreus” or “Tomb of Agamemnon”. When the burial was found by Schliemann, it was plundered. Therefore, it was not possible to establish who owned the tomb, but the size and architectural features suggest that there was a royal tomb inside. Round underground structures replaced shaft burials. A sloping corridor lined with stones leads to the high narrow entrance. Inside, the tomb is an impressive dome, 13.5 m high and 14.5 m in diameter, lined with horizontal rows of stones. Each row protrudes slightly above the previous one. Before the construction of the Roman Pantheon, the tomb was the tallest structure of its type.
Mycenae is one of the oldest cities in the world. According to numerous legends, it was built by Perseus, who defeated the Gorgon Medusa. In the 18th century BC. e. The fortress wall of the city was expanded, and the entrance to it was decorated with a gate with a lion bas-relief. Now they lead only to ruins, but over the centuries they have not lost their greatness.
Lion Gate in Mycenae - description of the attraction
The gates themselves in Mycenae look as simple as possible. These are four monolithic blocks of limestone, folded in the shape of a square with a side of 3.1 m. Ceiling- the horizontal slab forming the vault is much thicker than the side walls. This allows it to withstand the weight of a large bas-relief.
There are holes in the side supports, indicating that the lion gate was closed with doors. Presumably they were made of wood.
All blocks are folded without using a binding solution. The structure is supported only by the heavy weight of the stone elements.
Interesting fact: through mathematical calculations, scientists came to the conclusion that the weight of the lintel reaches 20 tons!
The bas-relief has the shape of a triangle. Along the perimeter it is surrounded by beveled slabs of the city fortress, which take on part of the load from the stone lions.
The slab with lions exudes royal grandeur and power, despite the fact that their heads have not survived to this day. However, it is assumed that they were turned towards the people entering the gate, and these were lionesses.
Animal bodies are carved out of stone with anatomical precision. They stand on their hind legs, resting their front legs on the altars supporting the column.
Myths and legends about the Lion Gate
The Lion Gate in Mycenae is shrouded in mystery and legend. Until now, scientists never tire of putting forward versions of who, how and when built this structure.
The Legend of Perseus and the Cyclops
Mycenae during the period of its appearance and heyday is walled city, built on a rocky hill. It was divided into two parts: in the upper part of the hill (acropolis) lived the nobility, in the lower part (at the foot) - the common people.
According to legend, Perseus invited the Cyclops to divide the city into two parts. It was they who built the majestic fortress wall, almost a kilometer long, 12 m high and 8-10 m thick. The ancient Greeks believed that only one-eyed giants could do this. That is why the masonry made of hewn blocks was called “cyclopean”.
Secrets of the lion bas-relief
The lion bas-relief is one of the first decorative elements on the fortress walls of those times. The question of what it symbolizes and what it is intended for still remains open.
There are several versions:
- the image of lions served to intimidate those passing through the gate (most likely);
- lionesses on the altar - coat of arms of the ruling dynasty;
- the bas-relief personified the greatness of the city and the power of its ruler;
- the animals on the altar symbolized the Great Minoan Goddess.
The missing heads of the lionesses are also a mystery. Either they were destroyed under the influence of time and atmospheric phenomena, or they were cast from gold and simply stolen. The fact that the heads on the bas-relief were made of a material other than limestone is not in doubt. This is indicated by the place of their break.
The guides are ready to tell tourists a few more versions about the Lion Gate in Mycenae and season them with their own guesses. This makes the aura of mystery around the ancient building even brighter.
