Now talking about Ancient Greece, many of us immediately recall such cities as, 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 it was three thousand years ago.
According to legend, Mycenae was founded by an ancient hero - Perseus, the winner of the Gorgon Medusa. However, the exact period of the founding of the city is unknown. The first people began to settle in this place about 7000 years ago, and the city itself appeared at least in 1500 BC, when the Mycenaean civilization began to spread throughout Greece and the nearest islands.
Mycenae in 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 XII century BC, the ancient world fell into decay, Mycenae also 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, otherwise it is a car trip. A ticket to Mycenae costs 12 euros, students Russian universities- 6 euros. The complex works from 8 to 20.00, but this is most likely in the warm season
Ruins of Mycenae to the right of the course
The current state of Mycenae is a well-preserved outline of the fortress (Acropolis), which appeared at least in 1350 BC, in which the palace and a number of other structures were located. Several tombs of giants, where kings and nobility 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 remained of these buildings.
city plan
city layout
To the right of the road, a small pile of stones is visible - these are the remains of the so-called house with the Perseus fountain. This building, 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 gates of Mycenae - it was from them that archaeologists guessed which city they were excavating
Lions with two altars and a column - this is the coat of arms of the Atrids - ancient dynasty rulers of Mycenae. The heads of the lions, unfortunately, have not been preserved, most likely they were from 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 fortress of Mycenae was surrounded by a powerful cyclopean wall of blocks, some of which weigh 100 tons each. In fact, this is why such structures are called cyclopean, since it is believed that only the cyclops could build them. The wall was 9 meters long, 6 meters wide and up to 7 meters high.
Just outside the gate, a small outbuilding is visible, which was used to lock the gate.
Niche bolt
To the right of the entrance behind the gatehouse was a granary
big ramp
The first building that visitors to the fortress met was one of the giants' graves - a large domed tomb built before the fortress and included in its territory in the 13th century BC
The domed tomb is only one of the buildings on the lower terrace of the fortress. In addition, there were residential buildings, a treasury, objects of worship and some other buildings behind the wall, but now it is difficult to recognize them.
The foundations of the pantries where vessels with food were stored, including the famous vase depicting Mycenaean warriors
Ramp going uphill to the right
In addition to the domed tomb and several buildings, there was a cult center on the lower terrace of the citadel, a procession road passed here and altars and temples built in the 13th century BC were located, these objects were destroyed a century later and replaced by ordinary houses
The ruins of the lower terrace, the remains of places of worship
After exploring the lower terrace, you need to climb the zigzag path 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 besides the palace at the top of the hill.
The northern quarter of the fortress, where there were storerooms and several large houses. This part was abandoned before anyone else, as it was badly damaged by the earthquake
Place of the Propylon 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. Here was the throne of the ruler. 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 it was restored in the 12th century, although it did not reflect its former grandeur.
On the site of the palace, a place for two columns is clearly visible, as well as an entrance. The palace was not big
A road descends from the palace to the opposite part of the hill from the entrance, in the northern part of the fortress there was 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 recognizable objects in this part of the citadel is the quarter of artisans, among which a house with columns (two columns in the courtyard) is distinguished. The purpose of the buildings was determined thanks to the blanks found here, gold leaf, unfinished ivory items, unprocessed semi-precious stones. In the house with columns there were jugs. All houses built in the second half of the 13th century in the same period perished in fire (along with the palace located nearby)
Craftsmen's Quarter
house with columns
Northern pantries and the road to the northern gate
In this part of the citadel there was a cistern with drinking water.
Tank
And there was also a tunnel to an underground source, located at a depth of 18 meters, now it is littered
There is no further passage
There was also a side, secondary entrance to Mycenae, built during the rebuilding 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 buildings outside the walls of the citadel, and these are not even houses, but a complex of 4 trading houses, in one they traded 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 tombs-shafts.
In addition, behind the hill with the fortress is the Mycenae Museum.
The remains of a fresco from the walls of one of the objects of worship
Statuettes found on the site of a quarter of religious buildings
Copies of royal treasures with the famous mask of Agamemnon
Ceramics
Sacred figurines found above one of the shops
And about the graves of the giants themselves, of which there are 4 pieces, I told
Long before Greece was called ancient, around 1600 BC, the Eastern Mediterranean was inhabited by a civilization of merchants and conquerors. These were the times of myths and legends.
The gods at that time often descended from, and their offspring ruled mortals. It was then that the well-known Perseus, the son of Zeus and the daughter of the king of Argos, being the ruler of nearby Tiryns, founded ancient city Mycenae.
The city began to have so great importance that the last prehistoric period of Greek civilization is called "Mycenaean".
A bit of history
Whether Mycenae was founded by Perseus, deciding to leave a memory of himself also as a builder of cities, or as a sign of another victory, is unknown. But it was ruled by many generations of his descendants, until the royal dynasty of Atreus came to replace it.
Some legends say that Perseus chose this place because he lost the tip of his sword (mike) here, others that Perseus found a mushroom (mike in Greek) and, fleeing from thirst, drank water from it.
A more prosaic tradition 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 place. They laid it at the foot of one of the mountains in the northeast.
The first mention of Mycenae as a "gold-rich" or "gold-filled" 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 the nobility. Their remains were buried under a pile of gold items. Interestingly, not a single iron object was found.
Among the gold items found by archaeologists were: diadems, bracelets of fine workmanship, copper cauldrons with elegant gold buttons, golden bowls and jugs, many golden animal figurines, death masks, the most famous of which is the mask of Agamemnon, as well as many bronze swords.
Archaeological finds found 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 finds found in the tomb of Tutankhamen.
All artifacts were transferred to the Archaeological Museum of Athens and the Archaeological Museum of Mycenae.
lucky geographical position Mycenae contributed to the conduct of trade by the inhabitants.
Wine, perfumes, fabrics, bronze, gold and amber products were exported.
Wealth grew rapidly, the state prospered. Mycenae became very influential, and according to scientists, they controlled the entire Mediterranean. Their rulers even led a confederation of the Peloponnesian kingdoms.
The culture, weapons and even the fashion of Mycenae spread throughout 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 the heroes of legends and myths. Many tragic and heroic events are connected with the history of Mycenae.
For example, the legendary Trojan War was unleashed by the Mycenaean king Agamemnon. We will not go into the details of the divine feuds associated with the apple of discord and the struggle of the Olympic beauties for the title of “most beautiful”, in which Tsar Menelaus and his wife Helen the Beautiful were involved, which led to the fall of Troy.
Historians are nevertheless 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 XIII-XII centuries. BC BC, but the date is disputed. The victory was granted by the gods to the king of Mycenae because he sacrificed his daughter, for which later, according to one of the legends, he was killed by his wife, who did not forgive him for killing her child.
According to another legend, during a long absence, the wife of Clytemnestra took a lover - a cousin of Agamemnon. And when the legitimate spouse returned from the war, they simply killed him, expelled the children - the legitimate 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 exactly established how and why their state fell. Historians put forward various hypotheses according to which the destruction of the city and the death of the state could occur as a result of interclass clashes.
According to other theories, a series of earthquakes, the destruction of trade routes, caused the rapid decline 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 bronze age.
The "bronze collapse" was accompanied by the fall of states and the destruction of major cities. Written language and traditions were lost, trade came to naught. The Eastern Mediterranean was plunged into darkness.
How to get to Mycenae
Time is relentless, and now we can only see the ruins of the once mighty city. This is all that has come down to 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 from them. Geographical coordinates ancient city: 37° 43? 50? With. latitude, 22° 45? 22? V. e. From the capital of Greece - about 90 km to the south-west of the peninsula, or 32 km to the north of the Argolicos Gulf.
You can get to Mycenae by a regular bus from Athens from the KTEL Afinon 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 a map. You must first drive to the city of Argo, from there already go to Mykenes, 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 a 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 an English-speaking guide. As a rule, visiting 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 the 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 - the giants of the Cyclopes.
Otherwise, how else can one explain the origin of such a powerful defensive structure. The stones are so tightly fitted to each other that there is a feeling of solidity of the walls. Such masonry was called cyclopean. The weight of some stones reaches 10 tons.
On the top of a small hill at the foot of the mountain, the Royal Palace was erected. 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 control 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 hearth in the floor - the royal reception room.
The so-called Megaron served as the administrative center of the city and held meetings, meetings and courts.
The Megaron also contained the symbol royal power- throne. Nowadays, only the foundation of the structure has been preserved.
The royal chambers are located on the north side of the palace. A temple with round altars was erected here, near which an ivory sculpture was found depicting two goddesses and a child.
Ordinary people lived outside the walls of the fortress at the foot of the hill. Interestingly, the buildings had a trapezoidal shape, with a short base directed towards the acropolis. Because of what, the whole city looked like a fan from above. The most famous buildings are the House of the Sphinx, the House of the Vintner, the House of Shields and the House of the Oil Trader.
It was possible to get into the fortress only on the road through. This is the most famous architectural landmark of Mycenae.
The gates were built from four powerful limestone slabs. Their span is a square, the side of which is about 3 meters. They were closed, most likely, with wooden doors, which have not survived to this day.
Their existence can be judged by the recesses 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 on a column with them. Their heads have not been preserved, and according to different versions they were made either of ivory or of gold. This is the oldest sculptural composition in Europe.
A large staircase leads to the royal palace, starting from the courtyard at the Lion's Gate. Interestingly, there was already a bureaucracy back then. Clay tablets found during excavations in the palace turned out to be financial reports, lists of slaves and artisans.
Mycenae possessed the greatest treasure for all the fortresses - underground water sources.
The inhabitants dug a deep tunnel to the spring, known as the fountain of Perseus. This fountain and a huge defensive wall helped them withstand long sieges.
Behind the walls of the citadel, archaeologists discovered giant domes - the tombs of kings and nobles, built from powerful stone slabs. The tombs were masked by a bulk mound, and a long corridor, a dromos, led inside.
The corridor, through a high, up to 7 meters high, monumental entrance, led to the inner vaulted chamber. After the burial, the tomb was closed, and all the 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's Gate.
Heinrich Schliemann unearthed 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 did not spare the city, visiting it is very informative and interesting.
This city, which Homer endowed with the epithet "rich in gold", thereby emphasizing its wealth and power, in the 17th century BC. e. was the capital of one of the states of southern Greece.
Ancient Mycenae were built on the rocky slope of a mountain range on the east side of the passage leading from the Peloponnese to the north. Approximately 1400-1100 BC. e. Mycenae wielded significant influence in the political affairs of Greece, which is why this period is sometimes referred to by historians as the "Mycenaean".
According to myths, the city was founded by the hero Perseus, the son of Zeus and Danae, and the walls, striking in the size of stone blocks, were erected by one-eyed giants - Cyclopes, or Cyclopes, therefore, scientists call structures similar to the Mycenaean acropolis Cyclopean. by the most famous king Mycenae was undoubtedly Agamemnon, the son of Atreus and the brother of Menelaus, the leader of the Achaeans in the Trojan War. tragic fate This hero attracted the attention of many writers and playwrights.
About 1200 B.C. e. Mycenae perished in a fire. The city was later rebuilt, but lost its former importance. In 470 B.C. e. Mycenae was finally destroyed during the war with Argos.
Excavations of Mycenae were carried out repeatedly. For the first time, the famous archaeologist G. Schliemann, who found the mythical Troy, undertook the study of the ancient ruins of the once great city. He began work in 1876, setting himself the goal of finding the burial place of King Agamemnon, who was treacherously murdered by his wife and her lover. Later, excavations in Mycenae were periodically carried out by Greek scientists, for example, X. Tsuntas, as well as by an expedition led by A. Wace in 1920-1923. In the course of all these studies, archaeologists studied shaft tombs, burials outside the city, fortress walls and the royal palace.
Mycenae were protected powerful walls(reconstruction)
It should be noted that the location of Mycenae, unlike Troy, was well known, since the ruins of the Cyclopean fortress walls, the ruins of the royal palace, the main entrance to the palace (Lion Gate) and some other structures have been preserved.
According to the opinion prevailing at that time in historical science, the tomb of Agamemnon should have been located behind the fortress wall. This belief was based on the testimony of the ancient Greek historian of the 2nd century AD. e. Pausanias, who compiled descriptions of all the places of interest in Greece. However, Schliemann believed that the instructions of this author regarding the location of the tomb of Agamemnon were misinterpreted. The archaeologist was sure that the legendary king of Mycenae was buried in the territory located inside the ring of fortress walls.
As a result of excavations, Schliemann discovered a circle under a layer of soil formed by two rows of vertically placed stones. The researcher suggested that his find was nothing more than a bench on which the rulers and elders of the city sat during public meetings. After analyzing a quote from the works of Pausanias, which says that the popular meetings of the inhabitants of Mycenae took place at the place “where the ashes of the hero rested,” Schliemann no longer doubted that he had found the grave of Agamemnon. During further excavations, shaft-shaped tombs located in the fortress, and domed tombs, covered with relief and located outside the city walls, were discovered.
Schliemann was sure that those buried in these graves were Agamemnon and his friends, who were killed during the feast. It is known from the works of Homer and other sources that it was customary for the Greeks to burn the corpses of the dead, but the remains found by the archaeologist were only partially burned. Consequently, they sought to bury them as soon as possible in order to hide the traces of the crime, Schliemann decided. From the abundance of jewelry, it was clear that people of a very high social status were buried here.
Proving that the burial he discovered was the grave of Agamemnon, Schliemann cited quotations from the works of ancient Greek playwrights - Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, who in their works claimed that the king of Mycenae and his friends were hastily buried by their murderers. However, later other researchers found that the tombs found by Schliemann are much older than the heroes of the Trojan War. The burial was indeed royal, and although Agamemnon was not buried here, Schliemann's work was rewarded: the list of finds compiled by the archaeologist amounted to 206 pages, which listed items made of gold and precious stones in detail.
The shaft tombs discovered in Mycenae are six stone wells in a territory surrounded by a fortress wall. The study of the objects found in these tombs made it possible to establish that they belong approximately to XVI century BC e.
Golden mask from a shaft tomb in Mycenae. 16th century BC e.
Some of these things make it possible to confidently state the existence of trade relations between mainland Greece and Crete. Nineteen skeletons were found in the mines, and on the faces of several of them there were masks of gold, undoubtedly conveying a portrait resemblance. In addition, a huge number of items made of gold, silver and bronze were found in the burials: precious vessels, weapons and jewelry, as well as numerous chased gold discs and plates with images of octopuses, rosettes, etc.
Outside the city there were nine domed and many chamber tombs. The construction of domed tombs (voices) is dated by scientists to the 15th-14th centuries BC. e. They were distinguished by a high dome and somewhat resembled beehives. They could be reached through a special corridor (dromos). After the burial, the entrance was filled with stones, and the corridor was covered with earth, but often the corridor was dug again, since the tombs were used for several burials.
The largest tholos, erected from huge stone blocks, is conventionally called the tomb of Atreus. This is the latest of similar structures. Carved columns were located on both sides of the entrance, and the vault of the dome was decorated with bronze rosettes. The height of the tomb is 13 meters, and the diameter of the vault is 15 meters. It should be noted that, like most similar burials, the treasures of the tomb of Atreus were plundered in antiquity.
Rectangular chamber tombs were carved into the rock. Researchers believe that representatives of noble families, but not of the royal family, were buried in them. These structures date back to the 16th-12th centuries BC. e.
As for the royal palace and fortress walls, scientists attribute their construction to XIV century BC e., although the remains of another, earlier palace (XVI-XV century BC), which had a smaller size, were also discovered. The fortress walls were built from tightly fitted stone blocks; city fortifications did not have towers, but powerful bastions were located on the sides of the city gates. A triangular plate with the image of two lionesses is installed above the gate, which received the name "Lion's". Inside the city, behind a fence of stone slabs, there are tombs-shafts. Scientists came to the conclusion that earlier gravestones could be seen behind the fence, some of them were decorated with sculptural images of the deceased.
Lion Gate at Mycenae. Around 1250 BC. e.
The royal palace was poorly preserved, but scientists were able to imagine its appearance from the remains. A two-flight staircase in the Minoan style led to a rectangular courtyard, from where one could get into a large hall (megaron), consisting of a portico, a reception room and a main hall with a brightly painted round hearth. The roof of the palace rested on four columns. Archaeologists have suggested that other buildings were located on the mountainside above the palace, but they have not been preserved. In the northwestern part of the city there was an underground spring with a reservoir, called Perseus, possibly in honor of the founder of the city. A staircase of 96 steps led to the source. On the top of the mountain, the ruins of a Doric temple, a fragment of a relief and some other items were found.
The ruins of Mycenae are located in the northeastern Peloponnese in Greece, near the Gulf of Argolicos. At present, near the ruins of the city, there is a small village that has retained the name of its legendary ancestor.
This text is an introductory piece.- Troy and the Trojan War.
Troy (tur. Truva), the second name is Ilion, 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, discovered in 1870. during the excavations by G. Schliemann of the Hisarlyk 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 10 summer war The coalition of the Achaean kings led by Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae against Troy, ended with the fall of the city-fortress. The people who inhabited Troy are called Tevkras in ancient Greek sources. - Troy is a mythical city.
For many centuries, the reality of the existence of Troy was questioned - it existed like a city from a legend. But there have always been people looking for reflection in the events of the Iliad. real history. However, serious attempts to search for the ancient city were made only in the 19th century. In 1870, Heinrich Schliemann, during excavations of the mountain village of Gissrlyk on the Turkish coast, stumbled upon the ruins of an ancient city. Continuing to excavate to a depth of 15 meters, he unearthed treasures belonging to an ancient and highly developed civilization. These were the ruins of the famous Homeric Troy. It is worth noting that Schliemann unearthed a city that was built earlier (1000 years before the Trojan War), further research showed that he simply went through Troy, since it was erected 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 built a theory on the similarity of the description of cities in ancient legends. However, there was no distribution and scientific basis for this assumption. This hypothesis has not received wide 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. However, according to some historians, this is most likely only the pinnacle of the conflict, that is, the last straw that gave rise to the war. Prior to this, presumably, there were many trade wars between the Greeks and the Trojans, who controlled trade along the entire coast in the area of the Dardanelles. - Troy held out for 10 years thanks to outside help.
According to available sources, the army of Agamemnon encamped in front of the city on the seashore, without besieging the fortress from all sides. The king of Troy, Priam, took advantage of this, establishing close ties with Caria, Lydia and other regions of Asia Minor, which during the war provided him with assistance. As a result, the war turned out to be very protracted. - The Trojan horse really existed.
This is one of the few episodes of that war that has not 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. BC, i.e. almost 1200 years later. Some historians suggest that the Trojan horse meant some kind of weapon, such as a battering ram. Others claim that this is how Homer called the Greek sea vessels. It is possible that there was no horse at all, and Homer used it in his poem as a symbol of the death of gullible Trojans. - The Trojan horse got into the city thanks to a cunning trick of the Greeks.
According to legend, the Greeks spread a rumor that there was a prophecy that if a wooden horse were to stand within the walls of Troy, he could forever protect the city from Greek raids. Most of the inhabitants of the city were inclined to believe that the horse should be brought into the city. However, there were also opponents. The priest Laocoön offered to burn the horse or throw 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, telling Priam that the Greeks built a horse in honor of the goddess Athena in order to atone for many years of bloodshed.
This was followed by tragic events: during the sacrifice to the god of the sea Poseidon, two huge snakes swam out of the water, which strangled the priest and his sons. Seeing this as an omen from above, the Trojans decided to roll the horse into the city. It was so huge that it did not fit through the gate and had to dismantle part of the wall. - The Trojan horse caused the fall of Troy.
According to legend, on the night after the horse entered the city, Sinon released from its womb the warriors hiding inside, who quickly killed the guards and flung open the city gates. The city, which fell asleep after violent festivities, did not even put up strong resistance. Several Trojan warriors, led by Aeneas, tried to save the palace and the king. According to ancient Greek myths, the palace fell thanks to the giant Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles, who broke the front door with his ax and killed King Priam. - Heinrich Schliemann, who found Troy and accumulated a huge fortune during his life, was born into a poor family.
He was born in 1822 in the family of a country pastor. His homeland is a small German village near Polish border. His mother died when he was 9 years old. The 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 in a letter for Minna's hand in marriage with her father. The answer was that Minna had married a farmer. This message completely broke his heart. Passion for Ancient Greece appeared in the soul of the boy thanks to his father, who read the Iliad to children in the evenings, and then presented his son with a book on world history with illustrations.
In 1840, after a long and exhausting job in a grocery store that nearly cost him his life, Heinrich boards a ship bound for Venezuela. On December 12, 1841, the ship fell into a storm and Schliemann was thrown into the icy sea, a barrel saved him from death, by which he held on until he was rescued. During his life, he learned 17 languages and made a large fortune. However, the peak of his career was the excavation of the great Troy. - Heinrich Schliemann undertook the excavations of Troy because of the disorder in his personal life.
This is not out of the question. In 1852, Heinrich Schliemann, who had a lot of business in St. Petersburg, married Ekaterina Lyzhina. This marriage lasted 17 years and turned out to be absolutely empty for him. Being a passionate man by nature, he married a sensible woman who was cold to him. As a result, he was almost on the verge of insanity. The unhappy couple had three children, but this did not bring happiness to Schliemann.
Out of desperation, he made another fortune selling indigo paint. In addition, he was closely involved Greek. He had an inexorable desire for travel. In 1868 he decided to go to Ithaca and organize his first expedition. Then he went towards Constantinople, to those places where, according to the Iliad, Troy was located and began excavations on the hill of Gissarlik. This was his first step on the way to the great Troy. - Schliemann tried on the jewelry of Helen of Troy for his second wife.
Heinrich was introduced to his second wife by his old friend, it was the 17-year-old Greek Sophia Engastromenos. According to some sources, when in 1873 Schliemann found the famous treasures of Troy (10,000 gold objects), he brought them upstairs with the help of his second wife, whom he loved immensely. Among them were two luxurious diadems. Putting one of them on Sophia's head, Heinrich said: "The jewel worn by Helen of Troy now adorns my wife." In one of the photographs, she is indeed depicted in magnificent ancient jewelry. - Trojan treasures were lost.
There is a deal of truth in it. The Schliemanns donated 12,000 items 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 showed up in 1993 in Moscow. There is still no answer to the question: "Was it really the gold of Troy?". - During excavations at Hissarlik, several layers-cities of different times were discovered.
Archaeologists have identified 9 layers that refer to different years. They are all called Troy. Only two towers remain from Troy I. Troy II was explored by Schliemann, considering it to be the true Troy of King Priam. Troy VI was highest point development of the city, its inhabitants traded profitably with the Greeks, but this city seems 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 the Greek colonists, who also erected the Temple of Athena here. Troy IX belongs to the Roman Empire. I would like to note that the excavations have shown that Homeric descriptions very accurately describe the city.
When planning a trip to Greece, be sure to set aside a few days for a trip to Mycenae. It is not for nothing that this ancient city is called the cradle of Hellas. It is permeated through and through with the spirit of ancient heroes performing feats in the name of the gods of Olympus, and with unprecedented luxury, which all the kingdoms of the world could envy.
Myths about the appearance of Mycenae
The birth of Mycenae is rooted far back in history. Archaeologists believe that the city was formed in the sixteenth century BC. Located in the west of the Peloponnese peninsula, it became the most influential city of ancient Greece and marked the beginning of an entire era called the Mycenaean era.
Greek legends say that the city was founded great hero Perseus, son of Zeus, with the help of the giants and the Cyclopes. Indeed, the city itself, the palace and the fortress walls were built from huge blocks of stone, perfectly fitted to each other without the use of mortar. Some blocks have a weight of about a hundred tons, and the walls themselves rise to a height of thirteen meters. A similar method of building walls was called "cyclopean masonry". Most of the structures in Mycenae were built using this technique. It is difficult to imagine how these blocks moved during construction.
Founders of Mycenae
Historians believe that the founders of the city can be considered the ancient Achaeans, whose main activity was military campaigns against neighboring states. Homer in his famous poems sang of Mycenae and its warlike founders. Strategically, Mycenae was very conveniently located - the city, surrounded by well-fortified walls, was located on a hilltop. The plain stretching around made it impossible for enemies to sneak up on the city unnoticed. Gradually, he grew stronger and flourished.
History of Mycenae: heyday
The Mycenaeans carefully guarded the approaches to their city, and by the thirteenth century BC they had extended their influence over the entire peninsula. The townspeople were actively engaged in trade and developed their city. The Mycenaean culture replaced the Minoan civilization, which was almost destroyed after the eruption of the Santorini volcano. The Mycenaeans settled the island of Crete, archaeologists have found evidence of their culture in the ruins of the Minos Palace. Several centuries of Mycenae's reign left a huge imprint on the entire history of Ancient Greece.
According to myths, it was from this city that Mycenae went on a long-term campaign against Troy. The fall of Troy was a gift from the gods to the great king for the fulfilled promise to sacrifice his own daughter Iphigenia. A few days after the enchanting return to Mycenae, the king was killed by his own wife Clytemestre, distraught after the death of her daughter. Until now, in Greece, her name means "man-killer".
During their heyday, the Mycenaeans built many cities and adorned their city with majestic structures, such as the royal palace, for example. The difference between poor and rich townspeople was quite significant. The Mycenaeans strictly divided society into classes, giving privileges to merchants and military leaders.
Fall of Mycenae
Several centuries of power of the Mycenaean civilization ended after the invasion of the Peloponnese in 1200 BC by the warlike tribes of the Dorians. They destroyed most of the major cities of the peninsula, including Mycenae. Under their onslaught, Troy also fell, which did not have enough time to recover from the triumphant victory of Agamemnon. The inhabitants of Mycenae still tried to revive the city, but gradually left the Peleponnese for Asia and the islands. For many centuries, Mycenae were forgotten.
Discovery of Mycenae: the excavations of Heinrich Schliemann
Mycenae owes its new birth to the famous Heinrich Schliemann. A persistent archaeologist, carried away by the search for the legendary Troy, quite unexpectedly stumbled upon one of the burial grounds in the vicinity of Mycenae, which stunned the archaeologist with unprecedented wealth. Jewelry, parts of military armor, figurines and household items - all this was made of gold. From several cemeteries, Schliemann managed to raise more than thirty kilograms of precious metal items. Of particular value to archaeologists is the gold found. Initially, scientists attributed it to the period of the legendary king Agamemnon, but after a long study dated it to the sixteenth century BC. The treasures found on the territory of the city were the most significant archaeological find of the late nineteenth century. Mycenae embody everything that gave the world this majestic and mysterious city amaze the tourist with the power of the palace walls, unique royal burials and the barbaric luxury of the artifacts found.
Attractions Mycenae
Excavations at Mycenae continued long years, revealing new treasures of this amazing city to the world. Each discovery proved that Mycenae had such a powerful influence on the Peloponnese that Ancient Greece had never experienced before. The sights of Mycenae are now a huge complex with the ruins of the royal palace, burial grounds and fortress walls. You can wander around this for hours. A special place among the archaeological finds is occupied by the Lion Gate and shaft tombs in Mycenae. Scientists have not been able to come to a consensus about their origin to this day. Excursion tour to Mycenae can be bought directly in Athens. Two hours spent on the road is a very small price to pay for the amazing sight that will appear before the eyes of a tourist.
Lion Gate in Mycenae: description
To enter the well-fortified fortress of the city, it was necessary to pass the Lion's Gate. They themselves are composed of four monolithic blocks, each of which weighs about twenty tons. Archaeologists believe that these blocks are carved from amygdalite rock. The blocks are carefully processed and fitted to each other. After many years of study, archaeologists have revealed that the blocks were processed with a tool similar to a circular saw. Jagged on the stones are still clearly visible. This is one of the first mysteries provided to scientists and historians by the Lion's Gate in Mycenae. The type of construction of the gate is identical to the fortress wall - monolithic masonry. According to scientists, the bas-relief of lions was installed over the gate much later than the construction of the fortress wall. The date of its foundation is attributed to approximately the thirteenth century BC. Lions are a very common heraldic symbol of Europe. Many royal dynasties were proud of their image on their coat of arms.
The bas-relief is made of three blocks and depicts two powerful animals standing on their hind legs, leaning on a column. The blocks are carved from solid limestone. Unfortunately, the heads of the animals have not been preserved, but archaeologists claim that they were cast in gold and turned towards the incoming people. According to some assumptions, lions were a symbol of one of the ruling dynasties of Mycenae. According to another version, this monumental bas-relief was dedicated to the patroness of the entire animal kingdom - the goddess Potnia. Many historians see the similarity of the bas-relief with ancient Celtic motifs. In their culture, lions occupied a special place, but until today, scientists have not figured out the meaning of the majestic image.
Myths about the origin of the Lion's Gate
The Lion Gate in Mycenae is a unique structure, the likes of which have not been erected during the entire period of the flowering of Mycenaean culture. The manner of construction and carefully crafted bas-relief depicting a column in the Cretan style forced scientists to recall the most ancient Hellenic myths.
Myths say that the Hellenes were the descendants of the powerful gods of the Atlanteans, who came to the land of Ancient Greece from their lost land. Indeed, many stone structures, which archaeologists attribute to the period of the Cretan-Minoan civilization and the Mycenaean that came to replace it, leave many questions. How could huge blocks of stone be mined and delivered to the construction site? Why do some of them have traces of processing with tools similar to modern ones? Why is the bas-relief of the gate so closely intertwined with images in other cultures? None of the questions have been answered.
Lion's Gate Mystery
If we take into account that the Lion Gate in Mycenae was built as a defensive structure, then another mystery of this mysterious place appears before scientists - all the treasures that Schliemann found in his time were in burial grounds located actually under the base of the gate. In the same place, the famous archaeologist managed to find the tomb of Agamemnon himself, filled to the brim with gold and silver artifacts. Neither earlier nor in a later period did the Greeks make such burials.
Archaeologists believe that the entrance to the citadel through the Lion Gate was not available to everyone. This is evidenced by the road leading to the gate - along it are the famous shaft tombs, which have become sacred to the Mycenaeans. An outsider could not be admitted to the place of worship. This revealed fact emphasizes the special significance of the Lion Gate as a religious building of the heyday of Mycenaean culture.
Why did the Mycenaeans make such burials? And why did they place their treasures at the entrance to the city? The scientific world has not yet put forward a worthy hypothesis. The Lion Gate at Mycenae carefully guards the secrets of its creators.
Royal Palace
Tourists who buy an excursion tour to Mycenae can also see other historical monuments of this once richest city. Directly from the Lion's Gate, the road led to the royal palace. The ruins of this building even now delight tourists. In the center of the building there was a huge rectangular hall with a hearth - a megaron. The hearth was carefully finished and decorated with ornate drawings, massive columns stood at the four corners of the hearth, supporting the vault. The walls of the main hall were decorated with drawings in the Cretan style. Homer called this hall "shining" in his poems. It should be noted that the Minoans were excellent engineers and architects. The entire structure was built in different levels connected by a string of corridors and halls. Under the palace there was a system of communications and water supply of the city. Many buildings within Mycenae were built in two or three floors, which speaks not only of the financial solvency of the townspeople, but also of the art of the builders.
In the palace itself, an ancient sanctuary was supposedly located. Archaeologists have found several sculptures of goddesses and a child. Whom the Mycenaeans worshiped, scientists know absolutely nothing. Just as their funeral rites are not known and not clear to historians.
Shaft Tombs
The shaft tombs are no less unique than the Lion's Gate at Mycenae. Two burial circles, turned into a sanctuary in a later period, were the resting place of the noble Mycenaeans. Scientists still cannot explain why the townspeople buried their loved ones sitting in narrow shaft-like burial grounds. This phenomenon is in no way connected with all previously known rites of the Hellenes. Each burial ground was filled with decorations and household items. It should be noted that all items were made of precious metals. Occasionally came across bronze items. After the discovery of the shaft tombs by Schliemann, Mycenae began to be called "gold-rich".
The monumental Lion's Gate, luxurious gold jewelry and myths, legends and mysteries - all this gave the world the "gold-abundant" Mycenae. Greece is able to fascinate any tourist who wants to once again touch her history permeated with millennia.
