Greece - Korina Miller [129]
CAR
Car hire is available from Aspida ( 27510 68033; www.aspida-carrental.com; Tripoleos 51).
TRAIN
At the time of research, the Kalamata–Corinth railway line was closed due to track work (boxed text).
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MYCENAE ΜΥΚHΝΕΣ
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The modern village of Mycenae (mih-kee-nes), 12km north of Argos and just east of the main Argos–Corinth road, is geared towards the hordes of package tourists that visit Ancient Mycenae and has little to recommend it other than its proximity to the ancient site, 2km to the north. There is accommodation along its main road. There’s an ATM in the main street.
Sights
ANCIENT MYCENAE
In the barren foothills of Mt Agios Ilias (750m) and Mt Zara (600m) stand the sombre and mighty ruins of Ancient Mycenae ( 27510 76585; citadel, Treasury of Atreus & museum €8; site 8am-8pm summer, 8.30am-3pm winter). For 400 years (1600–1200 BC) this vestige of a kingdom was the most powerful in Greece, holding sway over the Argolid (the modern-day prefecture of Argolis) and influencing the other Mycenaean kingdoms.
History & Mythology
World Heritage–listed Mycenae is synonymous with the names Homer and Schliemann. In the 9th century BC Homer told in his epic poems, the ‘Iliad’ and the ‘Odyssey’, of ‘well-built Mycenae, rich in gold’. These poems were, until the 19th century, regarded as no more than gripping and beautiful legends. But in the 1870s the amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann (1822–90), despite derision from professional archaeologists, struck gold, first at Troy then at Mycenae. (Although, owing to doubts about the provenance of some of his information and even allegations that he falsified some finds to fit his theories, his reputation has since suffered.)
In Mycenae, myth and history are inextricably linked. According to Homer, the city of Mycenae was founded by Perseus, the son of Danae and Zeus. Perseus’ greatest heroic deed was the killing of the hideous snake-haired Medusa, whose looks literally petrified the beholder. Eventually, the dynasty of Perseus was overthrown by Pelops, a son of Tantalus. The Mycenaean Royal House of Atreus was probably descended from Pelops, although myth and history are so intertwined, and the genealogical line so complex, that no one really knows. Whatever the bloodlines, by Agamemnon’s time the Royal House of Atreus was the most powerful of the Achaeans (Homer’s name for the Greeks). It eventually came to a sticky end, fulfilling the curse that had been cast because of Pelops’ misdeeds.
The historical facts are that Mycenae was first settled by Neolithic people in the 6th millennium BC. Between 2100 and 1900 BC, during the Old Bronze Age, Greece was invaded by people of Indo-European stock who had crossed Anatolia via Troy to Greece. The invaders brought an advanced culture to then-primitive Mycenae and other mainland settlements. This new civilisation is now referred to as the Mycenaean, named after its most powerful kingdom. The other kingdoms included Pylos, Tiryns, Corinth and Argos, all in the Peloponnese. Evidence of Mycenaean civilisation has also been found at Thiva (Thebes) and Athens.
The city of Mycenae consisted of a fortified citadel and surrounding settlement. Due to the sheer size of the citadel walls (13m high and 7m thick), formed by stone blocks weighing 6 tonnes in places, the Ancient Greeks believed they must have been built by a Cyclops, one of the giants described in the ‘Odyssey’.
Archaeological evidence indicates that the palaces of the Mycenaean kingdoms declined some time around 1200 BC and the palace itself was set ablaze around 1100 BC. Whether the destruction was the work of outsiders or due to internal division between the various Mycenaean kingdoms remains unresolved.
Exploring the Site
Before exploring the site, it’s a good idea to head to the impressive museum (admission incl site fee of €8; noon-8pm Mon, 8am-7.30pm Tue-Sun). It has good English explanations and contains numerous impressive finds from the digs, including pottery, weaponry and jewellery. On display