Mycenae

In Aeschylus’ play Agamemnon, the dynamic, strong female character of Clytaemnestra is introduced. Left alone for ten years, she has become bitter after Agamemnon had sacrificed their daughter, Iphigeneia, in order to sail to Troy. Clytaemnestra is waiting for her revenge. Clytaemnestra’s two speeches after Agamemnon has returned to Argos and is entering the palace reveal that she is convicting him of the murder of Iphigeneia and sentencing him to death. In Clytaemnestra’s first speech when Agamemnon returns, she talks of how difficult it was waiting at home all those years while he was at Troy. She mentions how unbearable it was to hear news of Agamemnon’s injuries. However, the way in which she states this supposed grief actually reveals her talent for double-speech and her true feelings. Clytaemnestra says: “’…if he took one wound for each report to penetrate these walls, he’s gashed like a dragnet, more, if he had only died…’” (A 855-857) This section from her speech makes it sound as though she was worried about Agamemnon, since each report brought news of an injury. However, since the reader knows that Clytaemnestra has been unfaithful and is plotting his death, it makes sense to look at the passage with her infidelity in mind. The passage instead highlights how Clytaemnestra wishes Agamemnon had died at Troy; her overstated empathy masks her darker motives. The translator, Robert Fagles, even agrees. In fact, his discussion on those lines in the…

to critique is the Lion Gate architecture found on page 39 in the textbook. The Lion Gate is the main entrance to the citadel of Mycenae. Mycenae is located on top of a small mountain. The gate is ten feet both wide and high, and narrows as it rises. The triangular shape prevents the lintel from falling in and breaking by evenly distributing weight. It was constructed of rock, gold, and clay. It is also a perfect example of a post-and-lintel arch. The top part above the lintel is a corbeled…

Agamemnon is the king of Mycenae and the leader of a Greek expeditionary force. He plays a part of the in this story to help support his brother who married Helen, who was kidnapped by the Trojans. Agamemnon is not a fan of the Trojans for they are the wealthiest city-state in all of Greece and are awfully arrogant about their wealth. Agamemnon is an Achaian hero whose sole purpose is to destroy Troy. Agamemnon is a weaker man whose power derives form is wealth and position. Agamemnon is a…

regions. Mycenae, Knossos, and Troy are three revered and questioned palatial sites that operated in similar and opposing ways, partially due to the form and function of the architecture. In the late 1800s into the early 1900s, three archaeologists excavated the individual sites of the Aegean basin. Sir Arthur Evans became known as the British archaeologist who uncovered the palace at Knossos on the island of Crete in the Aegean Sea. Heinrich Schliemann discovered Mycenae on the Greek mainland,…

The immense history of Greece could not be possible for the impressive and influential city-states located throughout the regions. Mycenae, Knossos, and Troy are three revered and questioned palatial sites that operated in similar and opposing ways. In the late 1800s, three archaeologists excavated their ways into the history books. Sir Arthur Evans became recognized as the British archaeologist who uncovered the palace at Knossos, on the island of Crete in the Aegean Sea. Heinrich Schliemann…

In the world of Ancient Greek Art and Architecture, and more specifically the Bronze Age Aegean, tombs were an important staple. A tomb could let others know your status in the world, and in terms of art history they can reveal a plethora of information on any given society. Some tombs that stand out from the Bronze Age Aegean time period are the following: The Grave Circles at Mycenae, The Treasury of Atreus, and the Lefkandi Heroon. Thanks to the discovery of these ancient tombs we were able…

M. 2009. The kingdom of Mycenae: A Great Kingdom in the Late Bronze Age Aegean. University of Amsterdam, pp. 1-179. In this article Kelder reviews two conflicting perspectives on the influence Mycenae had on the Minoan civilisation: I. Sir Arthur Evans proposes that Mycenaean civilisation paid homage to the Minoan in facets such as religion, art and social organisation. II. The Director of the British School Athens uses the evidence of Linear B archives found at the Palace of Knossos,…

The son of the King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra of Mycenae. After Agamemnon returned from the Trojan War, he was killed by his wife and his cousin Aegisthus. Orestes, a young boy at the time of his father's murder was smuggled to safety by Electra, his sister and taken to stay with their father's old friend King Strophius of Phocis. Strophius raised Orestes with his son Pylades, they became close friends. Upon manhood, Orestes killed Clytemnestra and Aegisthus, since it was the best way to…

gate had attachable lion heads that looked back because that would distribute the weight best considering the dowel holes; based on the bodies’ definition and the space for a mane, he thinks they are male lions. He believes the Lion’s Gate relief was at least inspired by Anatolians, specifically by the Hittites. Based on appearance alone, the Lion’s Gate is more three-dimensional than other purely Greek reliefs, and the column is more plain than others, like the ones in the Treasury of Atreus.…

discovery of the plaster covered skulls. These skulls were likely the skulls of their ancestors, and likely played a large role in their system of religious beliefs. Found at important locations within the homes, it is conceivable that the residents of Jericho felt conscious about their connection with the dead. For Egypt, we can see that both politics and religion were closely entwined within one another. The leader was god-like, all powerful. A stark change from the humble origins of a village…