Back to the Bronze Age

Mycenae, Greece

Hiring a car was a great idea.  In Korinthos however, they are scarce beasts indeed.  Persevere we did, until managing at last to find one – a little Fiat Panda (with the aerodynamics of a brick and speed of a pedal car).  Still, we headed off into the wild Peloponnese hinterland pretending not to be awed by 130k/hr speed limits, or motorists doing 150, on the main highway.  

Today’s planned ½ day tour would be of “ruins” including Mycenae, a Bronze age civilization dating 1550-1200BC, ancient Nemea, a sanctuary for Zeus and site for athletic games with a stadium seating 40,000 (6^th c BC), up into towering hills before rapidly dropping into the Arcadian Stymphalian Lake once infested with man-eating birds (so legend has it) and then finally, back down to Kiato for a drive along the coast road to Korinthos.  

Beginning with Mycenae, you need to pinch yourself to believe that you are here.  It's so impressive and the site has something of an ethereal air about it!

Mycenae's impressive Lion Gates 

Mycenae is another feather in the cap of Heinrich Schliemann (who you’ll remember from Troy, of course).  Enthused by his rich findings on the basis of Homer’s epics, he uncovered the grave and fortress of Agamemnon in 1874. 

Tholos (beehive tomb) of Clytemnestra

Aside from wandering the citadel with its famous Lion Gates, we were able to visit immense tholos tombs, built like beehives to house the (important) dead.  In one of these, Schliemann confirmed Homer’s description of the city as “rich in gold”, uncovering the wealth of Agamemnon.   We spent time in the nearby museum housing some of the most interesting finds from the site.  They clearly  reveal how sophisticated this civilisation was.  Clay tablets inscribed with writing afford us insight into life within the complex and decorated dwellings depict hunting and battle scenes, religious activities and processions of court ladies.  Most engaging was decorated pottery, ornamental utensils and ornate jewellery made from precious stones and gold.    

Grave Circle A

The Mycenaeans built citadels with gigantic stone walls, described as “cyclopean” by the ancients.  It is easy to think of these huge fortified complexes in isolation; however Mycenae is just one of three “close” sites. Others include Tiryns, then a port city and Midea.  Much further away on the west coast is Nestor’s Palace (near Pylos) that stand as testimony to the spread of this early Greek warrior culture. Both Mycenae and Nestor’s Palace were mentioned in Homer’s poems.

Agamemnon's Burial Mask (copy)

Posing at the Postern Gate