Mykenae

Gold mask of Agamemnon, 1580 - 1500 BC

Six miles north-east of Argos, on a hill, lay the "rich in gold" ancient city of Mykenae (Mycenae). Founded by the hero Perseus and becoming favorite residence of Pelops and his descendants, it became the most important city of Greece at the times of the king Agamemnon.
Master seafarers, they traded in the whole eastern Mediterranean sea, until the 12th century.
In 1375 BC, they invaded Crete and conquered the Minoans, who had influenced them in the art, from as early as the 16th century BC. The Mykenaean people build cyclopean structures, but at the same time they created the finest works of art.
These were the heroic and adventurous people of the Iliad, the romantic poet warriors, the purest and best of Hellenes.

The Lions Gate at Mykenae.
It was the main entrance to the Acropolis and
its opening was closed by a double door with sheets of bronze.
The relief consists of two confronting lions, their heads made from different
material. The structure is dated to 1250 BC.


The Acropolis of Mykenae