Explore Ancient Mycenae
-
Port
Nafplion, Greece
-
Activity Level
Moderate Activity
-
Excursion Type
All
-
Wheelchair Accessible
No
-
Starting At (prices in USD)
$110
-
Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
-
Duration
Approximately 2½ Hours
-
Meals Included
Meals not included
Your excursion will begin with a scenic inland drive across the Argive Plain through orange and lemon groves, past the ancient cities of Tiryns and Argos, on your way to Mycenae -- "well-built and rich of gold," according to Homer in The Odyssey. Tucked into a fold in the hills and lost to time for centuries, this is Agamemnon's citadel. Although excavations began here in 1841, it wasn't until 33 years later that Heinrich Schliemann, an entrepreneur turned self-styled archaeologist, unearthed Mycenae's treasures.
A controversial figure, Schliemann believed in the accuracy of Homer's epic poems, and to the amazement and dismay of scholars, governments, and the world, he was right. You will enter the site via a walkway lined by impenetrable cyclopean walls and go through the Lions Gate, Europe's oldest existing example of monumental statuary. It was here that Clytemnestra received her husband, Agamemnon, on his return from Troy. Walk to the first shaft tomb, where in 1874 Schliemann excavated the famous golden death masks, now on display at the Archaeological Museum in Athens. This site affords magnificent views over the Argive.
Visit the eerie Beehive Tomb a short distance away from the citadel -- also known as the Treasury of Atreus. Historians believe this could actually be the Tomb of Agamemnon. Enter the impressive grave through a 10-foot corridor and stand in its cool, dark interior marveling at this monument to Mycenaean building skills. Mycenae was undoubtedly the greatest city of the Minoan civilization and insolubly lined to the Homeric epics that have influenced European art and literature for more than three millennia.
Please note: Wear comfortable walking shoes and comfortable clothes.