New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-24

nv an admirable position for efficient ap'
pesls to public opinion in future eiections'
The Mycen@ Treasurer.
The New York Herald contains the fol-
lowing:
wonderful discovery at Mycer sH has aroueed
amepg tina general public as we'll as among
antiouarians and classical scholars. renders
the present an opportune time to lay before
our readers some account OF hls former
visit to Mycepa, and, a. far a. ie known, OF
his present discoveries The ruins OF Ny
cep 20 are, beyond all question, some OF the
very oldest in Europe, snd everything
interest to us who derive 80 much OF our
literature, art and science from this almost
forgotten race. To us, at the present day,
the age of Agamemnon seems 90 Tar PACK
in the dim past that it is difficult to believe
that q race of men then lived who, CEN
turtles before the frat written history, were
possessed of many OF the arts and eclences
which make life not only comfortable, out
even luxurious But, as Horace truly re-
marks, "Virere fortes onti-A gamemnOaa," 80
We may safely conclude that many great
and powerful monarchs reigned 'On the
throne Of Pslops before the mighty king
of men" assembled it. In fact. there is
ample evidence to show that that dynasty
was founded on the ruins of another. and
that the former succeeded to the original
Pelasgic rule. MycepH was one of the
capitals of the little State of Argolis. The
latter lies along the eastern seacOast OF the
Ptloponnesus, and was. from its position,
one of the first parts Of Greece invaded by
the PtGnicians and hardy sailors @f Asia
Minor. Besides Mycen9 was also Argos, q
~. ,f bal a
importance than MyceDp, where the royal
palace was. DIR. Schliemann visited the
scene of the present exploration in 1867, and
early in the present autumn he began the
work which has Just eliminated in the
present valuable discovery. The following
letter from DR.. Schliemann to friend IN
Leipsic is of interest:
"MYCENE, November Isl found below
the three sculptured tombstOaee, OF which
l sent you the drawings, square tomb
261a feet long and liz feet broad. The
depth of it can not yet determine, IS it
has not been entirely emptied. 1t certainly
exceeds IAN feet below the surface of the
Acropolis, as it was when began my exca-
vations there. Toe tomb borders on the
wall which supports the double circular
parallel rows of tombetOnes; nay, the wall
goes through the northwest angle of the
tomb This fxes their respective age.
When that wall was being built the old
tomb was evidently emptied, and found
in it only thirteen gold buttons Zone Of them
as large as q five franc piece). with SPLEEN
sign which some of the srcb9ologists call
the Svastika or Arani, from it's similarity
with the Indian symbols of that name.
There was q mass Of gold blades, with
impresst circles or spiral ornaments,
but nothing in sta, and scattered about at
intervals of three and six feet. In the Sec
end row of sculptured tOmbstones found
beneath two slabs square ditch ii 70 feet
broad, Il feet long, and cut AN feet deep
into the rookie lis bottom reaches. there
fore, to 30 feet below the surface of the
mount. Around the four sides of the tomb
is q Cyclopesn wall, 5 feet high and feet
thick. 1t contained bodies reposing on the
rock. They had evidently been burnt; the
bod es were embedded in black aches and
covered with layer of large stones. II is
impossible az yet to determine the number
Of bodies contained in this tomb. The bones
of one person dug up at the south corner
were covered with five immense gold
leaves-the first leaf AZ centimetres long
and 10 broad, the second I'M centimetres
long and 6le broad. the third 55 centimetres
long and 6h broad. the fourth 63 cent?
meiles long and 6le broad. Upon these
gold leaves were found FIVE crosses, each is
centmetres long and centimetres broad,
and fJrmed each of four gold leaves.
There were beside four gold blades of
circular form-one 8, the other ) II, and the
third Sla centimetres in diameter-and nu-
merOus ornaments which l can not here
describe. have now begun to dig up the
tomb beneath the stone with the bas relief
of the two serpents. and another beneath
two unsculptured stones in the second row.
There ars more such tombs in the large
circle OF the doutle parallel row. l shall
not leave Mycenca till l have examined
them all. As the wall with the circular
rows of slabs passes through part OF the
first tomb. and as the second tomb, which
was undisturbed, contains only more an.
cient handmade pottery, it seems clear that
these tOmbs are more ancient than the
double parallel rows of slabe, which were
probably erected in honor of the heroes
who, as tradition has it, lay buried in those
immense square tOmbs. The treasury has
given me- immense trouble, and though
have been working at it for more than two
II onths with q large number of laborers
aud carts. it is etill far from being entirely
cleared ont. The centre of il is clear down
to the virgin soil, and likewise the TIRES
hold. Nothing of peculiar interest," has as
yet been found there"
On the seventeenth of November DR..
OC0ileudun writes:
Il hasten to inform you that il. the same
tomb were fond the cslcined remains Of
two moro bodies. each with precisely the
same number of gold leaves, round blades
and crosses. All these objects have the
same beautiful ornamentatlOn of spiral
lines and circles. In a day or two l shall
know how many more tombs there are.
am now clearing the whole circle down to
the rock"
In the great circle of parallel slabs be-
meath the archaic sepulchral stones,
which DR.. Schliemann has shown to be the
tomb OF AgamemnGn and his companions,
he has discovered immense tombs contain
ing iewelry. He found in one portion of a
tomb human bones, male and female, plate,
jewelry of pure archaic gold weighing five
kilogrammes, two sceptres with heads OF
crystal. and chased objects in silver and
bronze, and q great quantity of women g
jewelry in gold. handsomely worked. Imme-
dat ly after commencing excavations at an
adjoining tomb large head of a COW in sill
YER, with immense horns Of pure gold, was
found. A large golden girdle, five gold vases
and immense golden buttons were also
found. All these objects were marvelously
worked. Among Otner discoveries are nine
silver vases and numerous swords of bronze,
but no trace of iron work. The following
articles of pure gold and splendid Orna
mentation were also found: A helmet. two
diadems, womsn's large comb, large
breast-plate. three masks, six vaees, two
bracelets, two rings, three brooches. an i'm
mense mass Of buttons, leaves and other
articles, three large girdles, a silver vase, a
stag cast in lead, with a mass of swords
daggers, axes and warriors knives, all OF
bronze, with twenty-five fint.hesded ar
rows"
In letter describing his first visit to Ny
ceDa, DR.. Schlieman says:
II then turned to the Treasury of Aga
memnon, commonly called Tomb of Aga.
memnoD,' which lies about three-quarters
of mile from the citadel. It is dug in the
side of little hill, facing deep ravine. A