Acropolis of Mycenae

Mycenae

Entrance Fee: 6€

(click on the small image below to see the full size image)

Mycenae was the centre of the Mycenaean Civilization. The civilization flourished in Greece between the 16th and 12th centuries B.C.E. It was here that the fabled king Agamemnon lived. The Myth: Agamemnon was the brother to Menalos. It was the kidnapping of Menalos' wife Helen that began the Trojan War. Agamemnon was one of the finest generals in Greece and so went with his brother to retrieve Helen. The war lasted 10 years, but finally the Greeks were victorious. When Agamemnon finally made it home to Mycenae, he was murdered by his wife Clytemnestra who was having an affair, so did not want her husband to return. This myth, and the plight of Agamemnon's children Orestes and Iphenginia, was the fodder for many famous greek tragedies.
This is the view of the Acropolis from down the road. It doesn't look like much from the picture, but the items found on the site are truely amazing.
The Acropolis area was surrounded by Cyclopean walls. The walls got this name because the stones in it are so big that people believed that the only way the walls could have been built is by a cyclops. To show how large the individual stones are, I posed next to one. Now, I know that I'm not a giant myself at 5 feet but it does provide some perspective.
This is the Lions Gate entrance to the Acropolis. The close up shows the royal crest, with the two Lions standing on pedestals with a column going up between them. The Lions heads have broken off, and have never been found. When visiting the site, you can easily see the holes in the walls for hinges for wooden doors which once hung in the entranceway.
The picturesque view from the Acropolis has many interesting images including this one of the Agamemnon's Mountain. If you look closely you will see the image of a bearded man laying on his back, with his head to the left side. It is eerie how the mountain looks like ancient depictions of Agamemnon.
This is grave circle A which dates back to the 16th century B.C.E. It is presumed that this was a royal burial chamber as there was a cemetary in use outside the city walls at the time. In addition gold funeral masks and jewlery were found in this grave. Around the grave there is a hallway completely surrounding the grave which archaelogists believe would have had guards.
The Beehive Tomb was once thought to be they tomb of King Agamemnon. The entrance way is constructed of the same large stones as the Acropolis. The lintel stone of the entrance is estimated to weigh 100, 000 tonnes. The empty triangle above it is thought to have held the same Lion carving as the Lion's Gate. Inside, the tomb is 17 meters high and comes to a perfect peak.
As you approach the Acropolis site there is many restaurants named after mythological figures. We dined at King Menelaos, the brother of Agamemnon, restaurant. We found the food to be quite good.