 Mycenae
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Mycenae. A name synonymous with one of the most glorious periods in ancient Greek history. On the site where the beautiful village of Mycenae stands today, the famous Mycenaean civilization was born and flourished.
Located in the northeastern corner of the Argolis plain, Mycenae occupies a privileged geographical position, as many important roads pass through the area.
The archaeological site of Mycenae is one of the most significant in Greece. The ruins of the ancient city and its tholos (beehive) tombs were uncovered by the archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, whose excavations brought to light important findings dating back to 3000 B.C., proving that Mycenae was a city of high cultural sophistication. Here reigned the Atreides, whose history is shrouded in a magical veil, balancing between myth and reality. From this lineage came the legendary King Agamemnon, who played a leading role in the Trojan War.
From the late third millennium and throughout the second millennium B.C., Mycenae developed the highest, longest-lasting, and most powerful civilization of the Eastern Mediterranean—and indeed, the world of that era.
The Acropolis of Mycenae, built on a rocky hill in a strategic location, is believed to have taken its current form around the 12th century B.C. Remarkably, the Acropolis sits at the center of the roads that crossed the entire Argolis plain, leading to the Corinthian Gulf and Central Greece. It was surrounded by a Cyclopean Wall—sections of which remain today—constructed from enormous boulders, traditionally believed to have been built by the Pelasgians.
Particularly fascinating are the Mycenaean tombs, including the Lion Gate tomb, the tomb of Aegisthus, and that of Clytemnestra. One of the most impressive monuments is the so-called Tomb of Agamemnon, or the Treasury of Atreus. This luxurious Mycenaean tomb is considered contemporary with the Lion Gate, featuring a 36-meter-long dromos (entrance passage) and a large tholos, which, according to findings, must have been richly decorated inside.
Most of the remarkable artifacts found in the tombs and across the archaeological site are housed in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Among them, the golden mask, attributed by Schliemann to King Agamemnon, occupies a prominent place in the Mycenaean antiquities gallery.
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