Mycenae

We have been to Mycenae before 25 years ago when it was pouring with rain making the steep stone ramps so slippy we could hardly get past the lion gate. So on our return today it started raining just as we arrived! Thankfully it was just an annoying drizzle and didn't prevent us from seeing the whole site. As with other Myceanian sites it has cyclopian walls and a palace area at the highest point. Unusually, it has burials within the walls and tholos tombs close by. All the tholos tombs were robbed in antiquity but some of the shaft tombs were intact and had fabulous grave goods including the "Mask of Agamemnon". No-one knows if Agamemnon actually existed. Mycenae undoubtedly had rulers and Greeks in the 6c bc thought Agamemnon was one but there is no evidence. If he did exist and took part in a war with Troy, it would have been 100 years after the mask was buried.
Despite the weather we really enjoyed the visit to the site and the small museum there.Weiterlesen