Mycenae
Location
About
The citadel of Mycenae, home of the legendary King Agamemnon, was the dominant power in the Aegean from approximately 1600 to 1100 BCE, giving its name to the Mycenaean civilization. The site features the Lion Gate (the oldest surviving monumental sculpture in Europe), the Treasury of Atreus (a corbeled tholos tomb), and Grave Circle A where Heinrich Schliemann discovered the gold 'Mask of Agamemnon' in 1876.
Significance
Mycenae was the first power center of European civilization — a palace culture that dominated trade networks from Britain to Egypt during the Late Bronze Age. The mythological cycle associated with Mycenae — the house of Atreus, the sacrifice of Iphigenia, the Trojan War, the murder of Agamemnon by Clytemnestra, and Orestes' revenge — formed the subject matter of three of the greatest plays in Greek tragedy (Aeschylus's Oresteia).
History & Historical Arc
Mycenae was inhabited from the Early Bronze Age but rose to dominance around 1600 BCE with the shaft graves of Grave Cir…
Archaeological Notes
Grave Circle A contained six shaft graves with extraordinary gold jewelry, weapons, and death masks (National Archaeolog…
Key Features & Structures
- Lion Gate (1250 BCE)
- Grave Circle A (shaft graves)
Visitor Information
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Open daily. 120 km from Athens. Combine with Epidaurus and Nafplio.
Related Figures
In the Bible
Source References
- Schliemann, Mycenae (1878)
- Aeschylus, Oresteia (458 BCE)