Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-05-24
THE HER A Id
DR. schltemann on Mycenae.
From Nature.

be regarded as memorable one IN
the history OF tho Society OF the An
tlauaries, when DR.. SchIiemann de-
scribed TO an unusually distinguish ed
audience his own and his wife's ex'
plorations on the site of the Acropol.
is of ancient Mycena Taking as bis
clue the we'll known passage in
which Psusanias CA. D. 176) speak'
of the ruins and traditions Of the
famous Greek city. DR.. Schliemann
was led to the belief that his scht lar
ly predecessors had mistaken its
drift. The passage in PausaDias
runs thus
Among other remains of the wall is the gate
on which stands lions. They 1.-THE wall and the
gate, are said to he the work of Cyclopes, who
bnilt the wall for Aatus in Tiryns II the
ruins Of Mycena is the fountain called Perseis
and the sub.erranean buildings of Aureus, and
his children. in which, they stored their treas
ures There IS sepulchre of Atreus,with the
tombs of Agamemnon's companions, VINO on
their return from Ilium we're killed at dinner
by Egsthus The identity of the supulchre
of Cassandra is called in question by the
Laeedemonians OF Amykl9. There is tomb
of Agamemnon and his charioteer Eurymedon.
Teledamos and Pelops were deposited in the
Same sepulchre, for il is said tina. Cassandra
bore these wins, and that, when sill little
babies. they we're slaughtered by Egisthus
together with their parent. Hsllanikos (B. Q.
495-4l1) writes that Pylades, who was mar
ried TO Electra by the consent of Orestes, had
by her two sons, Medon and Strophios.
Clytemnestra and Egisthus were buried at
little distance from the wall, because they
were thought unworthy to have their toombs
inside o. it, where Agamemnon repesed, and
those who we're slain with him.
Previous explorers had searched in
vain for any of the relics here refer
red to becauee they have searched
in the wrong place, mistaking the
wall spoken of tor that Of the city,
whereas DR.. Schliemann's instinct led
him 10 infer that Agememnon and
his companions were buried within
the wall of the citidsl. Following
this clue nc began TO sink many
shafts in different parts OF the Aero
polls, and met with such encourag-
ing results near tho Lions Gate men,
toned by Pausanias that he devoted
his main attention to diggings in
this quarter. There were. however
so many hindrsnces, that II was on
ly in last July be was able 10 carry
out his plans.
In the AcropDlis Dir. Sehliemann
had entirely cleared the famous
Lions Gate, which he went on to
describe, discussing also the oh ques-
ton of the symbolism Of the lion'f
surmounting the gateway. and OF the
alter surmounted Oy column, on
each side of hich rests the fore paws
of ono of tho two lions. Ono theory
was that The column related 10 the
solar worship of the Perslans, an
other that the al ar is fire altar,
guarded by the lions ; third that
We have here representation OF
Apollo Agyieus. Dr.Schliemann him.
self was of this last opinion, bich he
thought was born out by the Phryg-
ian descent of the Pelopid9. The
Ii n cult Ct the Phryg arg W well
known. Besidee. amoug the jewels
found In the ton6s, and especially
10 the first tt NH, this religious lion
symbohsm reappoarel. Ga two OF
the repouSSe gold plates there tound
was seen Ion sacrificing y stag TO
lsra Bo-opis who was represented
~ large COWS head. with open
jaw-, just 10 the act OF devourlng the
sacrifice. On entering the nlons
Gate were seemingly tho ancient
DIV slIings of the doorkeepers, Of
whom some account WAS given
Farther on, az at rsoy, was quad.
rangular Cyclopean masonry, max
ing the sight of u gate OF wood. Sill
further on were Two small CyclDpe-
an water-oonduits; 10 the right Of
the entrance passage were two Cy-
clopean cisterns. A little further or
came to light that largo doutie par
allcl circle of Glossy jiintcd, slant
ing .ltbs, which has become so ia
nous during the lust three months
Only ABOUT onc-hnls Of il rests or
q twclve-fest-high Cyclopean wall
which has been expires i built &c
supper. it in the lower part of the
Acropoiis. The double circle hac
been originally covered with cross
slabs, of which six are still in stu
Inside the double slabs was, first, s
layer of stones for tho purpose o
holding the slabs in their position
The rcmaining space wss filed with
pure earth mixed with long thir
cockloa, in the places whore tho or
lginal covering remains in it's posi-
ton, or with debris OF houses mixec
with countless fragments of archaic
pottery wherever the covering was
missing. This circumstance would
leave no doubt that the cross slabs
were removed long before the cap.
turo of MyceD@ by the Argives { B.
&. 1867 The entrance TO the double
circle WAS from the north side. 10
the western half of the circle DR.
Schliemanr discovered three rows oil
tomb Steles, nine in eli, made OF
calcareous stone. All stood upright;
four only which faced the west had
sculptures in relief. Oae stele pre-
cisely that beneath which was found
the body with the golden plates
representing the lion sacrificing the
Stag so Hsra B0-opiS represents a
hunting scene. The two next sculp-
tured sepulohral slabs represents
each a battle sceue. The Myceu9
slabs, DR.. SchIiemann said, were uni
que of their kind. The manner in
which they fill up the spaces not
covered by men and animals with q
variety of beautiful spiral ornaments
reminds us of the principles OF the
paintings on the so-called Oriental
izing vases. But in the Mycenaau
sculptures nowhere do we see rep.
resentation of plants so character.
istic of ancient Greek ornamentatior
of this class. The whole is rather
linear ornamentation, representing
the forms of the bas-relief. Hereby
we have an interesting reference &c
the epoch in Greek art preceding the
time when that art was determined