The ancient Greeks were convinced: Mycenae was built by Perseus, and thick, high walls of huge stone slabs were erected by his order by the Cyclopes - one-eyed giant monsters. They simply could not explain otherwise how such a grandiose structure was built in the second millennium BC.

The ruins of Mycenae are located on the Peloponnese peninsula, on the eastern side of a rocky ridge, 2 km from the small town of Mycenes, 90 km southwest of the capital of Greece, Athens, 32 kilometers north of the Gulf of Argolikos. On a geographical map, this ancient Greek city can be calculated using the following coordinates: 37° 43′ 50″ N. latitude, 22° 45′ 22″ e. d.

Mycenae and Troy were discovered by the German amateur archaeologist, Schliemann. He found these unique Bronze Age monuments using a rather interesting method, using Homer’s Iliad instead of a guidebook: first he found the famous Troy, and after a short period of time, Mycenae.

The heyday of the ancient Mycenaean civilization dates back to the end of the Bronze Age and dates back to 1600 - 1100. BC. Legends claim that Mycenae was built by King Perseus, but historians are inclined to conclude that the founders of the ancient city were the Achaeans, warlike representatives of one of the ancient Greek tribes.

The favorable geographical location and wealth of the city (the Mycenaeans conducted active trade throughout the Mediterranean) led to the fact that by the beginning of the 13th century. ancient Mycenae turned out to be one of the most powerful and influential states located on the territory of mainland Greece.

The power of the rulers of Mycenae extended to the entire nearby territory and, according to scientists, even covered the entire north of the Peloponnese (researchers suggest that the kings of the city could well have led the confederation of the Peloponnesian kingdoms).

It is not surprising that the city of Mycenae had well-fortified walls designed to protect against enemy attacks: they tried to capture it more than once, and often quite successfully (this is evidenced by numerous myths of that period, whose plot was intricately mixed with real events, evidence of which was discovered by archaeologists ).

The Mycenaeans themselves were quite warlike: King Agamemnon organized a campaign against Troy, which competed with the Mycenaeans for dominance in the region, and after a ten-year siege achieved a major victory. According to one legend, victory was granted to him by the gods because, having fulfilled the command of the Oracle, he sacrificed his daughter, Iphigenia (this later caused the death of the king: Agamemnon’s wife, who did not accept the death of her daughter, organized a conspiracy against him).

It should be noted that the Greeks were not able to take advantage of the fruits of the long-awaited victory: around 1200 BC. Dorian tribes invaded the territory of Greece, destroying almost all the cities of the Peloponnese, among which were also Mycenae and Troy (the latter did not even have time to recover from the defeat and just experienced a strong earthquake). Residents of the cities did not leave their territory for some time, hiding in the mountains, but later were forced to leave their lands - some moved to the islands, others moved to Asia Minor.

What the city looked like

Most of the population of Mycenae lived outside the fortress, at the foot of the hill. Excavations carried out by archaeologists showed that before getting to the citadel, it was necessary to pass a cemetery located outside the city walls and residential buildings. Discovered buildings within the city showed that within its boundaries there was a palace, living quarters, temple buildings, warehouses and shaft tombs in which representatives of the ruling dynasties were buried.

Like most ancient cities, Mycenae was a well-fortified fortress and was built on a rocky hill about 280 meters high.

The city was surrounded by a fortress wall made of huge boulders, about 900 meters long, at least 6 meters wide, and in some places the height exceeded 7 meters, while the weight of some stone blocks exceeded 10 tons.

front gate

You could get to the fortress along a stone-paved road through the Lion Gate, the width and depth of which was about three meters.

The Lion Gate was built in Mycenae in the thirteenth century BC during the expansion of the fortress wall. They were erected from three huge, lightly processed limestone blocks, and were closed with two wooden doors (this is evidenced by the recesses located inside the side walls).

The upper horizontal lintel was wider than the pillars on which it was placed - this was done so that a triangular-shaped limestone pediment slab with two depicted lions could be installed on top. According to one hypothesis, the bas-relief crowning the Lion Gate is the coat of arms of the Atrid dynasty, which ruled the city at that time. According to another, it is dedicated to the goddess Potnia, who is the patroness of all animals.

These lions are turned towards each other and, standing on their hind legs, their front legs rest on two altars, between which a column is depicted. Unfortunately, the heads of the animals have not survived to this day, but after carefully studying the bas-relief, scientists came to the conclusion that they were made of a different material (possibly ivory) and most likely looked at the people who entered the citadel through the Lion Gate .

One of the purposes of this bas-relief was to disguise the resulting hole: The Lion Gate was built according to all the rules of its time, so all the blocks that needed to be placed above the lintel were installed with a bevel, which made it possible to transfer most of the load to the side walls between which they were installed Lion Gate.

As a result, an empty space was formed above the lintel, where a slab with a bas-relief was installed, which is considered the earliest monumental sculpture of the Mycenaean period (before Mycenae was discovered, only figurines 50 cm high were found).

Castle

Immediately after the Lion Gate, the road rises up, and then on the left side it ends at a staircase, along which one could climb to the palace, located on the top of the cliff (according to experts, the castle was built in the 14th century BC, and some found fragments in it refer to an earlier period).

The staircase ends in a rectangular courtyard, which could be reached from the throne room, passing the reception room and the portico with two columns. The throne room was rectangular in shape, its roof was supported by four columns, and the walls were decorated with frescoes depicting war chariots, horses and women.

The living quarters were located on the north side of the castle, many of them were two-story. Most likely, they could be accessed from the palace lobby. There was also a temple with round altars, near which a sculptural composition of two goddesses and a child was discovered made of ivory.

It is interesting that during excavations, clay tablets with inscriptions were found in the palace, which turned out to be financial reports of military expenses, as well as lists of people working for the Mycenaean rulers: it was a list of slaves, oarsmen, and artisans. This gives scientists reason to assume that Mycenae was a rather bureaucratic state.

Mine tombs

On the right side of the Lion Gate there were shaft tombs surrounded by a stone fence in which kings were buried. These were burial rooms carved into a rectangular rock, going to a depth of one and a half to five meters. Now at the site of ancient burials there are stone slabs placed on edge, marking their location. In these tombs, archaeologists found real treasures - coins, jewelry, rings, bowls, daggers, swords made of gold, silver and bronze.

Dome and chamber tombs

Before building the fortress, the Mycenaeans buried their rulers in so-called dome tombs, which were shaped like huge domes. In total, archaeologists discovered nine such tombs dating back to the XV-XIV centuries. BC. The tombs were underground structures with a high, tapering dome that rose above the ground. After the funeral, the tomb was closed, and the corridor leading to the burial pit was covered with earth.

One of the most famous tombs of this type is the tomb of Atreus (XIV century), which could be reached through a long corridor, the dromos. The burial pit was underground and had a height of 13 meters and a width of 14 meters (unfortunately, it was not possible to find out what exactly the king took with him to the afterlife, since the grave was plundered in ancient times). A nine-meter square slab was installed above the entrance to the burial room. How exactly the ancient masters were able to establish it, scientists still have not figured out.

Aristocrats and representatives of their families were buried in chamber tombs located nearby. These were basically family crypts carved into the mountainside, into which you can walk along the dromos.

How to get to Mycenae

Those who want to see one of the most famous monuments of the Bronze Age should take into account that it is located on the territory of the Mycenae archaeological park, and therefore entrance to its territory is paid (a ticket costs about 8 euros).

The best way to get to the city of Mycenae from the capital of Greece is by regular bus; the journey in this case will take about two hours, and the ticket will cost 12 euros. You can also use a car and a map - first drive to the city of Argo, passing the Corinth Canal, and from there go to Mycenes.

The Mycenaean kingdoms were small in size. The centers of Mycenaean civilization were located in well-fortified cities, which were usually built on top of hills surrounded by fortress walls. This is how the first acropolises appeared - “upper cities”. The Acropolis contained within its walls the royal palace, houses for servants, warriors and artisans, as well as numerous storage facilities for grain, wine, and oil. Workshops were also located here, weapons and jewelry were stored. According to inscriptions on clay tablets found in Mycenae and Pylos, up to five thousand people of various professions worked in the palaces, there was an extensive bureaucratic apparatus that took into account everything, even broken wheels and broken vases.

The most famous palace-fortresses were located in Mycenae, Tiryns and Pylos. The largest of them is Mycenaean. In 1250 BC. e. A powerful stone wall was erected around the Mycenaean Acropolis, in some places its thickness reached 7 m. And this is far from the limit; in Tiryns, for example, the thickness is 9, and in places 17 m. The famous Lion Gate was broken into the wall around Mycenae, so named because that above them are depicted two lions standing on their hind legs. Between the lions is a column, which, according to scientists, symbolizes Artemis, the patroness of the city.

This is what the animals greet. Most likely, lions were a symbol of the Atrid family. However, according to legend, King Agamemnon insulted the goddess by not sacrificing his firstborn daughter Iphigenia to her. For this, Artemis sent a storm that did not allow the Achaean ships to leave the harbor to sail to the walls of Troy. The storm continued until the king gave his daughter to be slaughtered, but instead the goddess sent a golden doe to the altar, and took the girl to the lands of the Tauri, where she made her a priestess in her temple.

Outside the walls, the road led through the acropolis to the royal palace, built of mud brick on a wooden frame. The palace was once brightly painted not only from the inside, but also from the outside. Rectangular in plan, it enclosed not a courtyard, as in Crete, but a spacious internal hall with a colonnade and a hole in the roof - a megaron. Here the king gathered his entourage and conducted state affairs. The throne was located to the right of the entrance, and there were benches along the walls near it. The Mycenaeans considered the throne to be the sacred womb of the mother goddess. In Tiryns it is surrounded by sacrificial canals, through which, during the ceremonies, libations of wine and blood penetrated into the womb of the earth. Sitting on the throne, the king was in unity with the goddess and drew strength from her.

The Mycenaean megaron was almost completely destroyed; archaeologists created its reconstruction on the basis of halls from other palaces, for example in Pylos. There the walls of the hall were decorated with frescoes. Like the Cretan palaces, Pylos was equipped with running water and swimming pools. The city rulers kept a collection of clay tablets, which scientists managed to read. It turned out that the kings of Pylos were excellent hosts. The king owned a large plot of land, three times larger than the allotments of the nobility. Thus, he was the richest supplier of grain to the market.

The clay tablets also told us something about the structure of the state. The king was called Wanaka, the small kings were called basileus, and there were several of them subordinate to Wanaka. The king was assisted by the commander of the army - ravaketa, "ruler of the nations." He could conduct receptions in the second, smaller megaron. The king had advisers - 14 telestas, representatives of the nobility and palace officials. The priests of the main temples, called “God’s people,” were held in high esteem. The king of the Mycenaean culture was considered the main one among the rulers of other cities and bore the title “senior king.”

The palace in Tiryns was painted with multicolor frescoes in the 13th century. BC e. There were patterns along the ceiling depicting the starry sky. However, the subjects of the frescoes are completely different from those of the Minoans. A favorite of them is hunting. Goddesses going on a hunt, hunting a boar with dogs, chasing a deer, battle scenes. The limestone floors were painted with colored stains to imitate marble. Sometimes there are chess cells alternating with fish and octopuses. Great difficulties awaited archaeologists during the excavations of Thebes. Other Mycenaean cities were not populated later. For example, Mycenae was abandoned already in the time of Homer. Now the nearest settlement to them is the village of Mykines. But the center of Thebes - Kadmeia - is located under the modern city. The citadel of the fortress was destroyed in the 13th century. BC e. Scientists were able to discover fragments of the palace, in which a fresco was discovered with a procession of women bearing gifts to the goddess. Thematically similar to the Cretan ones, it is executed in a completely different way. All participants in the procession have the same profiles, hairstyles and tiaras. The figures are outlined in black, which gives the fresco a monumental feel, and the white and yellow background makes it brightly decorative.

The cities of the Mycenaean culture disappeared into the darkness of centuries as mysteriously as the Cretan palaces. Around 1200 BC e. The Achaean world experienced a series of upheavals. From Egyptian papyri it is known that in the 13th century. BC e. There were severe crop failures for several years in a row, causing famine throughout the Mediterranean. craft and trade fell. Vast areas were on the verge of extinction. fought wars for food. The invasion of Greece from the north by the Dorian tribes completed the destruction of the Mycenaean world. The palace at Mycenae fell around 1125 BC. e. However, before this tragic outcome, the Mycenaeans had to accomplish the greatest deed that would leave their name for centuries - to win the Trojan War.

The Mycenaean (Achaean) civilization (1600-1100 BC) is one of the oldest and most interesting civilizations that ever existed on the territory of modern Greece. This civilization had an undeniable influence on the subsequent development of ancient Greek culture and occupies a special place in literature and mythology, including in the works of Homer.

One of the largest and most important centers of the Mycenaean civilization, of course, was the ancient city of Mycenae, from which, in fact, the culture subsequently received its name. The royal residence was also located here, as well as the tombs of the Mycenaean kings and their entourage. In ancient Greek mythology, Mycenae is well known as the kingdom of the famous Agamemnon, who led the legendary Trojan War.

The ruins of the once majestic Mycenae lie about 90 km southwest of Athens in the north-eastern part of the Peloponnese near the small village of the same name and today are an important archaeological and historical site.

History of archaeological excavations

The first excavations of ancient Mycenae were carried out back in 1841 by the Greek archaeologist Kyrriakis Pittakis. It was then that the famous Lion Gate was discovered - a monumental entrance to the acropolis, built from four huge monolithic limestone blocks and got its name because of the huge bas-relief depicting two lions above the entrance. The Lion Gate, as well as fragments of the impressive fortress walls (their width in some places reached 17 m), built in the so-called “Cyclopean” masonry, are well preserved and even today, more than three thousand years later, they amaze with their monumentality.

The archaeological work that began in the 1870s under the auspices of the Archaeological Society of Athens and the leadership of Heinrich Schliemann created a real sensation. During the excavations (both on the territory of the fortress and outside it), a number of burials were revealed in shaft and domed tombs with an incredible number of various funeral gifts, among which the huge number of various items made of gold was especially impressive. However, the architecture of the tombs was also of great interest, perfectly illustrating the skill of ancient architects. The best preserved to this day, perhaps, are the tombs of Clytemnestra and Atreus. The tomb of the latter dates back to the 14th century BC. and is a two-chamber tomb with a dromos corridor (length - 36 m, width - 6 m), leading to a domed room (where the king’s body rested) with a small side chapel, in which a number of burials were also identified. A huge 9-meter stone slab weighing approximately 120 tons was installed above the entrance to the tomb. How the ancient craftsmen managed to install it still remains a mystery. The Tomb of Atreus, or the Treasury of Atreus, is the most grandiose domed structure of that time and one of the most important architectural monuments of the Mycenaean civilization.

In subsequent decades, archaeologists returned more than once to the excavations of the legendary Mycenae and discovered many more different structures, including the remains of a palace complex located on the top of a hill. Recently, the so-called “lower city” was excavated. A detailed study of the results of archaeological excavations has made it possible to significantly lift the veil of secrecy over the mysterious Mycenaean civilization.

The famous “Mycenaean gold” (including the so-called golden “mask of Agamemnon”, 16th century BC), as well as many other unique ancient artifacts found during the excavations of Mycenae, are today kept in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

On a note

• Location: Mycenae
• Opening hours: daily, June - November from 08.00 to 19.00, November - March from 08.30 to 15.00.
• Tickets: adult - 3 euros, under 21 years old - free.

Anyone interested in the history of the ancient world, archeology or ancient literature has heard about Mycenae. King Agamemnon, the leader of the Achaean campaign against Troy, lived here. The Argolid Valley, in which Mycenae is located, was glorified in Greek myths. The city was so important in the life of the region that the first Greek civilization began to be called Mycenaean. It was in the local acropolis that Heinrich Schliemann discovered a golden mask, one of the most famous archaeological finds in the world

A little history

Myths say that the city was built by Perseus, and the fortifications, made of huge stone slabs, were erected by huge one-eyed monsters - the Cyclops, because it was believed that an ordinary person was not able to build something so grandiose.

The geographical position of Mycenae and its achievements became the reason that the city more than once became the arena of struggle for power. The cruelty of the conquerors and their sophisticated methods of struggle are reflected in legends and myths that are intricately intertwined with real historical events. For a long time it was believed that Troy and Mycenae were just a fantasy of ancient authors, but the enthusiasm of one man changed the ideas of all scientists about the ancient world.

Representatives of the royal dynasty found eternal peace in mine tombs. One of the most famous is the treasury of Atreus; it is a corridor about 36 meters long, which ends in a domed room. Above the entire structure is a giant stone slab, weighing about 120 tons, and the mystery of how the ancient architects managed to raise it to such a significant height has not yet been solved.

Entertainment and attractions of Mycenae

The fortress wall is about 900 meters long, and its monumentality is amazing: some blocks weigh more than 10 tons, and the height of the wall in some places reached 7.5 meters. The thickness of the walls sometimes reached 17 meters, which made it possible to build casemates and vaulted galleries inside the walls. From a military point of view, the design of the wall was well thought out: all sections were built in such a way as to protect the city as much as possible from any attacks. From the point of view of the common people living in the vicinity of Mycenae, the fortress was a kind of abode of the gods; the hill where she stood was climbed only on special occasions, using numerous intricate paths.

For the aristocrats, a road paved with stone led to the fortress; it approached the “Lion Gate”, which has survived to this day, through which the path to the royal palace passed. This gate is a structure of three huge, lightly processed stones, above which two heraldic lionesses are carved from stone, personifying the power of the Atrid dynasty.

From the point of view of heraldry specialists, this composition has no analogues in the world.

In the center of Mycenae are the megarons of the king and queen. In the king's megaron, the balcony, vestibule and throne room are clearly visible. The floor and walls of the premises are decorated with frescoes; each element of the throne room has an almost sacred meaning. According to experts, these buildings date back to the 14th century BC. e., and some elements - to an earlier period. These are the only such ancient monumental buildings in the world.

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Mycenae- an ancient city built in the second millennium BC. It was one of the centers of Mycenaean culture, and then of Greek civilization. Now all that remains of it are ruins. Mycenae was abandoned around 1100 BC and remained in this state until the famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered the city in 1874. It’s not far from Athens to here - about 90 kilometers.

Let's start our walk through Mycenae from the Treasury of Atreus. This is a tomb that was built around 1250 BC. The name is conditional and no one knows exactly who was buried here, but it is assumed that it was one of the rulers of Mycenae.

Entrance to the tomb

The slab above the entrance weighs 120 tons

Dome of the tomb. Masonry is held together without any mortar

We move to the Mycenaean acropolis. View of the ancient city

Let's get closer

The walls of ancient Mycenae were created using the so-called cyclopean masonry, when huge hewn blocks are held on top of each other only by their own weight without any mortar. The name “Cyclopean” comes from the ancient Greeks - over time, people believed that it was beyond the power of man to lift such boulders, and such construction was attributed to the mythical Cyclops

The Lion Gate was built in the mid-13th century BC

Bas-relief above the Lion Gate, from which it takes its name

Lion Gate from the other side

Graves of Circle A. It was here that Schliemann found the famous golden mask of Agamemnon. You will also see the mask itself just below.

The Lion's Tomb dates back to approximately 1350 BC and is so called not because lions were buried there, but because their figures were found on the walls. Above it was the same vault as above the Treasury of Atreus, which was shown above, but it collapsed

A couple more views of the ruins

In Greece they know that cats attract much more attention from tourists than any other antiquity, so there are plenty of them near any attractions

There is an archaeological museum on the territory of ancient Mycenae

Basically, various antique ceramics found in the surrounding area are presented here.

Simply handsome

Ancient writings

Fragments of an ancient fresco

Ancient jewelry

Various accessories of noble people

The golden mask of Agamemnon was found here in 1876, but a replica of the famous mask is on display in the museum. The original is in Athens, where we were recently. In fact, this mask did not belong to Agamemnon, since scientists attribute it to an earlier era, but the name stuck

Near-Mycenaean nature

On our way out we stopped at a souvenir shop

Here you can buy not only small souvenirs, but also statues like these. Prices, of course, are quite high and amount to tens of thousands of euros

Potter at work

I will add several reconstructions of Mycenae prepared by Danila Loginov (