Mycenæ: a narrative of researches and discoveries at Mycenæ and Tiryns

CHAPTER XI.

Chapter 11663 wordsPublic domain

TREASURE OF THE TOMB SOUTH OF THE AGORA.

Discovery and description of another tomb in the Acropolis outside the Agora--Its Cyclopean masonry like that of the five sepulchres--The golden trinkets of this tomb--Double-handled goblets--A plain gold cup (φιάλη)--Spirals and rings of gold and silver wire, like those of the Egyptian tombs--A golden seal-ring covered with intaglio-work--Its full description--The face-covers of the female figures prove the use of masks during life--A figure meant for a _Palladium_--Six other rude figures resembling the Trojan idols: their likeness to the "Corinthian helmet" of Athena--The work of this ring calls to mind Homer's description of the shield of Achilles--A smaller golden signet-ring, with four _Palladia_ and three Hera-idols--A beautiful lion of massive gold--Gold necklace beads--Bones of animals found in this tomb--The human remains probably removed when the water conduit was built, but the small jewel-recess escaped being rifled--Three curious lentoid gems of necklaces, one found on the site of Phœnicé, the others near the ancient Heræum--The first represents Phœnician figures--Description of the other two--The Cyclopean foundations of the ancient Heræum, probably as old as the walls of Tiryns and Mycenæ--It was destroyed by fire in 423 B.C., and its site deserted--Professors Sayce and Mahaffy on the Date of the Capture of Mycenæ--Views of M. Emile Burnouf 350

Telegrams to and from the King of Greece--Conclusion 380

ANALYSIS OF MYCENEAN METALS 387

APPENDIX A. Tombs in the Agora 383

APPENDIX B. Explanation of the objects in fig. 213 383

APPENDIX C. Possible connection between ornaments found at Mycenæ and the Badges worn by those initiated into the Egyptian mysteries 384

APPENDIX D. Account of ornamentation on a bronze sword 385

INDEX 397

NOTE TO PAGE 145.

With reference to the visit paid to the excavation at Mycenæ by the Emperor of Brazil, I feel bound to mention the renewed mark of his Majesty's interest in the discoveries, when he did me the signal honour of visiting my lodgings in London on June 22, 1877. His Majesty spent two hours in examining with great attention my large Album of Mycenean photographs, and repeatedly congratulated me on the results of my excavations.

H. S.

COMPARATIVE TABLE OF FRENCH AND ENGLISH MEASURES, EXACT AND APPROXIMATE.

+------------+--------------+--------------+----------------------+ | Metric. | Inches. | Ft. Inch. | Approximate. | +------------+--------------+--------------+----------------------+ | Millimètre | 0·0393708 | " ·03937 | ·04 or 1⁄25 of inch. | | Centimètre | 0·393708 | " ·39371 | 4 " ⅖ " | | Décimètre | 3·93708 | " 3·9371 | 4 inches. | | Mètre | 39·3708 | 3 3·3708 | 3⅓ feet. | | 2 | 78·7416 | 6 6·7416 | 6⅔ " | | 3 | 118·1124 | 9 10·1124 | 10 " | | 4 | 157·4832 | 13 1·4832 | 13 " | | 5 | 196·8540 | 16 4·8540 | 16⅓ " | | 6 | 236·2248 | 19 8·2248 | 19⅔ " | | 7 | 275·5956 | 22 11·5956 | 23 " | | 8 | 314·9664 | 26 2·9664 | 26¼ " | | 9 | 354·3372 | 29 6·3372 | 29½ " | | 10 | 393·7089 | 32 9·7080 | 33 " | | 11 | 433·0788 | 36 1·0788 | 36 (12 yds.) | | 12 | 472·4496 | 39 4·4496 | 39⅓ feet. | | 13 | 511·8204 | 42 7·8204 | 42⅔ " | | 14 | 551·1912 | 45 11·1912 | 46 " | | 15 | 590·5620 | 49 2·5620 | 49¼ " | | 16 | 620·9328 | 52 5·9328 | 52½ " | | 17 | 669·3036 | 55 9·3036 | 55¾ " | | 18 | 708·6744 | 59 0·6744 | 59 " | | 19 | 748·0452 | 62 4·0452 | 62⅓ " | | 20 | 787·416 | 65 7·4160 | 65⅔ " | | 30 | 1181·124 | 98 5·124 | 98½ " | | 40 | 1574·832 | 131 2·832 | 131¼ " | | 50 | 1968·54 | 164 0·54 | 164 " | | 100 | 3937·08 | 328 1·08 | 328 (109 yds.) | +------------+--------------+--------------+----------------------+

N. B.--The following is a convenient approximate rule:--"To turn _Metres_ into _Yards_, add 1-11th to the number of Metres."

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE PLATE I. THE ACROPOLIS OF TIRYNS _To face_ 1

PLATE II. THE WEST SIDE OF THE ACROPOLIS OF MYCENÆ " 23

PLATE III. THE GATE OF THE LIONS " 32

PLATE IV. THE TREASURY OF ATREUS " 43

PLATE V. THE TREASURY NEAR THE LIONS' GATE, EXCAVATED BY MRS. SCHLIEMANN _Frontispiece_

PLATE VI. ICHNOGRAPHY OF THE ROYAL TOMBS WITHIN THE CIRCLE OF THE AGORA _To face_ 124

PLATE VII. Panoramic View of Dr. Schliemann's Excavations in the Acropolis of Mycenæ _To face_ 148