The New York herald., 1876-12-10
Cnearlhing the Graves Of Great Greek
Tragedy-The Golden Treasures.
4 MAGNANlMOUS SON OF SCIENCE.
[BY CABLE TO THE HERALD. /,


OF the ancient city Q. Mycena IN the Peoponnesus,
and his work has been crowned with the most com.
p!cte success. The Doctor has teegraphcd 10 the
HERALD bureau a copy OF the despatch IN winch lie
announced the result Of his exploration 10 the King
Greece. 1t a. folows:--
MAGNIFICENT OFFERING.
To HIS MAJESTY king GEORGE
With unbounded Joy | announce 20 Your Majesty
that ] have discovered The monuments which the
tradition reiatedb by pausanus indicates rs the iombs
OF Asanemnon. Cassandra, Eur,nledon and their
companions who were Killed wnlle .casting at
banquet by Clytcmnestra and her lover f.gisthus.
These tonbs are surrounded by double parallel
circle with tablets undoubtedly erected In honor Of
the victims In these iombs have found immense
archaeological treasures and numbers OF articles OF
pure gold.
The treasure alone is sufficient TO fiji large mu-
scum, and the most splendid in the world, In sue
ceeding ages | am sure it will attract to Greece
thousands OF strangers rom abroad. AS am labor.
ing simply for the love OF science waive all claim
to the treasure and offer 1t. with iu,ense cnthusi-
asm, entirely TO Greece.
Sire, may these treasures, with Gods blessing be-
come the corner stone OF an immense national
wealth. Dr.. HENRI SCIlLlEMANN.
MyCEN.E, November 2s 1876.
IMPORTANCE or THE DISCOVERIES
The highest scientific authorities In London de-
clare Dr. Schliemann's discoveries TO be the most
important yet made in the history OF archaeological
investigation. They go back TO the Cycopean era
in architecture anu to the time OF the destruction
of Troy to the Greece OF almost 5000 years ago,
when it was the first city OF the uelenes.
NOT MYTH.
Mycenn, the town OF which Dr. Schliemann speaks
In this letter. is one Of the most ancient In the
word. Long before the Greeks joined together to
avenge the wrongs OF Menelaus and to recover the
beautiful Helen from her paramour Paris this city
was great centre OF government and civilization.
Homer calls it .populousr and .broad-streeted'
ana 1t its King Agamemnon-the "King Of
Menn-who was chosen TO command the Grecian
forces at Troy. DR.. Schliemann, IN digging up
these relics and exposing to view the
Us back far beyond historic times, and to great
extent overturns the theories OF several modern
writers on history. The stories which have gener-
ally been considered almost mythical OF the return
| OF Agamemnon and his murder by his wife Clytem
nestra and her lover Egsthus arc now almost con-
armed by the discovery of their tombs In positions
which tend to prove the truth or the legend.
| This story Is one Of tine most tragical that
has been treated by the great poets
| of the golden age OF Greek tragedy
.Escnyus in his "Agamemnon,r sophocles in his
electra" and Eurpides in his "Orestes" have
each in turn dramatzed various phases OF this re-
markable story. The legend, or, rs we may now
term it, history, relates how Agamemnon, on his
return from the siege OF Troy, foully murdered
in his own banquetng hall, and how his wife and
paramour, who had murdered him, afterwards In
| termarred.
| THE STORY or AGAMEMSoS.
| Agamemnon and Meneaus were sons OF Pills.
themes and grandsons OF Atreus. King Of Mycena.
| they were brought up. together with their cousin
.Egsthus in the house OF A.reus After the murder
! of A,reus by .Eglsthus and Thyestes the two
brothers ned TO Sparta, OF which place Meneaus
af,erward became King. They married two sis
ters, the daughters OF Tyndarus Agamemnon
cspousing Cytemnestra and Menelaus the far
war, whittier Agamemnon had gone to
assist his brother in recovering his wife, he re-
turned TO Myccna. Before leaving Troy he had OBJ
tanned as his share In the spoils Casslndrl, the
told 10 him the sad fate which awaited him should
he return: but. blind TO fate. lie insisted hasten
ing back to his "much loved" MyccnG. on his
arrival there lie found that his cousin 4Egisthus,
whom he had left as the guardian OF
his kingdom and Of his wife, had basely
betrayed his trust and was living iii adultery with
Clytcmncstra. The guilty couple Immediately re-
solved to add to their other crime by murder
ing him, and took the opportunity OF banquet
given to celebrate his safe arrival 1t Is related
him tunic with the sleeves sewn up, and as he
vainy attempted to put 1t Oh she felled him with
blows OF a hatchet while her lover. -Egs;hus,
assisted. At the same time several OF his compan-
ions pcrishcd, and among them Cassandra, who
had warned him OF his fate.
This murder forms the plot OF the "Agamemnon"
of Eschylus, the first OF the great dramatic trum
yirate while the return OF Orestes and the death OF
Clytemncstra at his hands form those OF the
"Electrar and "Orestes."
THIS SITE OF THE EXPLORATIONS.
Mycen9, tho scene OF this terrible tragedy, was
an ancient town in Arsolis about six miles to the
the head OF a narrow valley. During the reign Of