MYCENAE
Mycenae is not in Athens, but it is still worth visiting on our tour. Founded by the legendary Greek hero Perseus, and later ruled by the powerful Greek leader Agamemnon, Mycenae was once a strong, thriving Greek civilization. The Mycenaean Period began to end around 1100 BC, and soon after, the civilization was left in ruin. The reason for its decline is unclear, though contemporary historians believe it was likely from civil skirmishes, raiders from the sea, natural disasters, or overpopulation.
THE CYCLOPEAN WALLS
Legend has it that, when Perseus founded Mycenae, he hired Cyclopes to build the city walls. The stones were too big for humans to handle alone, so the story goes. During the Dark Ages, the technology used to build the walls was lost, and so the story of the Cyclopes stuck. The people did not know any other way the walls could have been built, and because the rocks were so heavy, the story made sense. I think that Perseus did have some form of technology that he used to build the walls, though I do not believe he had help from Cyclopes (though I would enjoy being proven wrong). However, it is important to remember that, to get the full sense of the history of a place, we must keep in mind both the history and the myths that we hear. When we focus less on which story was right, and more on looking at all of the stories together, we get a clearer picture.
THE LEGACY OF MYCENAE
It is interesting to think how much history happened in Mycenae. First, Perseus, the legndary Greek hero who killed Medusa, founded the city, and after his descendent, Eurytheus, died in battle, Atreus became king. Atreus is the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus, two familiar heroes to readers of Homer. When Agamemnon returned to Mycenae after the Trojan War, his wife, Clytemnestra, and his cousin, Aeigisthus, killed him. Also, Orestes, son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, avenged his father by killing his mother here in Mycenae. I feel, if I get to visit Mycenae in person, that I will be walking where these ancient heroes walked. Though some may be myths, it is certain than ancient Greeks lived in Mycenae, meaning I would be walking in the footsteps of the ancients regardless. Overall, it is exciting to think how much history happened in the very city I would be present in. Hopefully, I will get to visit one day to experience this feeling in person.
THE LION'S GATE
The Lion's Gate stands at the entrance to the city of Mycenae. It gets its name from the artwork above the entrance. The gate was constructed in a way that a triangular gap was left above the top lentil stone. The gate builders would often fill the hole with artwork in a triangular shape. This piece features twin lions with their paws resting on an altar or pedestal. The heads of the lions were likely made of gold, but they were likely stolen from the gate. All that remains are the bodies of the lions, and even being headless, the art looks impressive and quite detailed. Because of its location at the entrance to the city, the artwork of the lions was thought to be something special, like a family crest or a coat of arms. I agree with the opinion that that the lions were protecting and looking after the city. It would make sense that, like the wall they are a part of, they are meant to protect the city.
THE THRONE OF MYCENAE
It is interesting to me how much of Mycenae's history involves someone taking over the throne. First, though most sources say Pelops' descendants took over the city after Perseus' descendants died off, one account says Pelops took the city from Perseus. Since then, within the line of Tantalus, there have been many instances of overtaking the throne. Atreus claimed the city before his brother, Thyestes, though Thyestes thought he had just as much right to the throne. Then, Clytemnestra and Aegisthus killed Agamemnon and took the throne, getting revenge for Agamemnon's sacrifice of Iphigenia and, on Aegisthus' side, restoring the throne to the line of Thyestes. Then, Orestes kills Clytemnestra and the throne belongs to him. In the end, it's amusing to me that no one got the throne, because by the Roman period, Mycenae was left in ruin. I would like to know, though, after Orestes, how long did his descendants remain on the throne? Did they rule all the way until Mycenae's decline, or did another family take over the throne?
IMPORTANT SITES IN MYCENAE
The Palace of Mycenae: the palace of the city. It included the main room, the Megaron, which held four columns and the sacred hearth. The walls were covered in artwork like mosaics and frescoes.
The Lion's Gate: the entrance to the city. Above the gateway, there is artwork of two lions.
Grave Circles A and B: the burial sites of royalty. Many artifacts were found buried within the circles and are displayed at the National Archaeological Museum. It is easy to locate on the map because of its unique circular shape.
The Tholos Tombs: burial mounds. The tombs are built and then dirt is piled on top of them to hold the dome shape in place. The doorways to the tombs are very tall. At least nine tombs have been excavated.
DID YOU KNOW?
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The Cyclopean walls were also called the Polygonal walls because the rocks that make up the walls have many different numbers of sides.
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The artwork above the Lion's Gate is the oldest monumental work of art in Europe, dating back to 1350 BC.
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The name "Mycenae" comes from the Greek word "myces," which means cap. Legend has it that, when Perseus founded the city, either the cap fell off the scabbard of his sword or he found a mushroom (which has a cap) that revealed a spring when he picked it, and Perseus decided that would be the spot.
A Trip to the Museum
From The Getty Villa, Los Angeles, California
Title: Miniature Throne
When: 1425 to 1100 BC
Where: Greece
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The back of this chair is interesting to me because the pattern looks like leaves to me. The three legs of this chair are most likely significant. Most chairs and stools at this time had four legs, and other three-legged objects were sacred.
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There was a usually a figure made to sit on chairs like this one, but it is now missing. It was usually a statue of a god or king, and oftentimes it was a woman or a goddess. Sometimes, the figure and the chair were one piece, but other times, the figure was made separate, and over the years, the figure was likely moved somewhere else. I was wondering why it was moved? Also, who was the figure made to sit in the chair?