Mycenea

Here is a love story from a time when water was carried in large jars about 2000 B C. A beautiful woman gave Eliezer water from her jar. She then kindly got water from the well for his animals too.

This is the map of his journey:

… Eliezer says ‘ the Lord lead me to the house…’
Genesis 24 (the whole story is here . God takes an interest in relationships . We must pray and trust His guidance.)

Looking from the top of Mycenae,
the palace area 1350 – 1200 BC and temple of Hera area 8th-5th century BC,
all in ruins
down to the valley of olive trees then back up to the layers of blue
distant
mountains.

The ancient city of Mycenae was abandoned more than 2,000 years ago. It is situated between the sloping hills of Profitis Ilias and Mount Sara. Most of what we can see was built in the late Bronze Age between 1350 and 1200 BC.

Then look carefully at the top of the entrance.
These lionesses in relief were described by Pausanias in the second century AD and his description helped Vandeyk identify the ruins as those of
**Mycenea**.

The lion Gate was erected around 1250 BC . This is a name given in modern times because of the lionesses in heraldic pose. Then there is another gate…

…but before that is this grave circle a place for Royal families to be buried in the 16th Century BC.
This contained six shaft graves containing 19 bodies and 14kg of gold funerary goods all taken to Athens.

Then the North Gate. In summary this is what Roy is reading:

Constructed in 1250BC. Four monolithic blocks of conglomerate (almond ) stone form the two jambs, the lintel and the threshold. It originally had a double wooden door bolted by a sliding bar. Look above the lintel , there are two plain vertical slabs set on edge, they transfer the weight to the two door posts.

This gate is in the Cyclopean style. Cyclopean implies that there were legendary giants whose culture preceded the Classical Greeks and they built this.

Then let us look at a little of so much that was found here but in the museum.

Notice the joints so they can sit or stand. They were all made between the
5th and 6th Century
BC .

Women of Mycenea.
Enlarge and see tweezers, combs etc…

The biggest is a bronze hydra , a greek word for water jar (we still use the word fire hydrant).
All three hydrias come from
1600 to 1500 years before Christ.

This white delicately striped in pink flower is here and there amongst the ruins.
The flower signature for
Mycenae
this spring
Convolvulus cantabrica.

If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.
Isaac Newton.

We wish you a good weekend.

Sandyroybessbugzy. 🙂

2 thoughts on “Mycenea”

Mike and Kellye Hefner says:

12th May 2023 at 7:11 pm

Another great stop on your road trip, Sandy. Your posts are inspiring my wanderlust. I hope to see them in person one day.

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1. sandyroybessandbugzy says:
  
  14th May 2023 at 7:29 pm
  
  I hope you do see them ! Your love of ruins may mean you spend the rest of your life here . There seem to be more than anyone can get their heads round.🤔🤣
  
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