The ancient city of Mycenae: archaeological finds, myths and legends. Mycenae - the largest city of ancient Hellas Event related to the history of ancient Mycenae

• DATE: XII-XIV centuries BC. e.
• STYLE: Mycenaean
• MATERIALS: Stone
• BUILT: by order of the Cretan rulers
• The legendary palace-fortress of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, whose history many times became the plot for great works of ancient Greek literature

Homer, in his epic poems The Iliad and Odyssey, described Mycenae, the legendary mountain stronghold of King Agamemnon, as “an indestructible citadel, rich in gold.” Both Homer and Aeschylus in their Oresteia called Mycenae a place of bloody massacre, where mortals the gods punish. Agamemnon was the leader of the army during the Trojan War. Then, so that the gods would grant a fair wind so that the navy could move, he sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia. The king returned victorious, but his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus killed him right in the bath. Orestes, the son of Agamemnon, took revenge on the murderers, and they accepted their death at his hand.

Myths and reality

Of all the archaeological sites in Greece that have a mythical past, Mycenae is the closest to Greek legend. Especially if we consider that legends intertwine stories from different times. Mycenae is located on the rocky hills above the Argive Valley, next to the main road between the cities of Corinth and Argos. The fortress walls and most of the buildings were built in 1380-1190 BC. e., although in this place since ancient times, from the 16th century BC. e„there were settlements of rulers. Today the citadel lies in ruins, but even now you can imagine its stunning splendor and marvel at the architectural achievements of the Mycenaean civilization.

The famous Lion Gate is the main ritual entrance to the fortress where the elite lived. Basically the city lay in front of them. To emphasize the splendor of the gate, the stonework there was treated better than in other places, and an amazing stone relief was installed above the gate. Two muscular and, alas, already headless lions in this relief stand on the sides of the column.

Behind the walls of the citadel

Just outside the walls of the citadel is the cemetery of the rulers, surrounded by a wall in a circle. In these tombs, the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered one of the most magnificent archaeological finds - many beautiful bronze daggers, bowls and goblets, tiaras and filigree gold chains and an amazing gold death mask. Schliemann then exclaimed: “I looked into the face of Agamemnon!” Although subsequent research has shown that the tombs appeared 300 years before the Trojan War, there is still no doubt about the wealth and greatness of the Mycenaean civilization.

Behind the walls of the fortress, under the hill, is the so-called Treasury of Atreus, a fine example of a Mycenaean stone “beehive mausoleum”

From the tombs stairs lead straight to royal palace on top of a hill, the boundaries of its walls are still visible. In the center there is a courtyard, from there you can enter the megaron, a large reception hall with a traditional round hearth. The walls of this hall were once covered with bright paintings. The palace also had a throne room and many small rooms. In the east is the House with Columns, a majestic building whose courtyard is surrounded on three sides by columns. The staircase has also been partially preserved; it once led to the second floor.

At the eastern side of the fortress there was a secret spring with a reservoir, it lay underground, and a spiral staircase descended to it. The reservoir was built in the 12th century so that the people in the fortress could withstand a long siege. The fortress was most likely besieged by hostile Mycenaean bets or Dorian invaders from the north. By 1100 BC. e. the once thriving settlement was already abandoned.

The ancient Greeks were convinced: Mycenae was built by Perseus, and thick, high walls of huge stone slabs were erected by his order by the Cyclopes - one-eyed giant monsters. They simply could not explain otherwise how such a grandiose structure was built in the second millennium BC.

The ruins of Mycenae are located on the Peloponnese peninsula, on the eastern side of a rocky ridge, 2 km from the small town of Mycenes, 90 km southwest of the capital of Greece, Athens, 32 kilometers north of the Gulf of Argolikos. On geographical map this ancient Greek city can be calculated using the following coordinates: 37° 43′ 50″ N. latitude, 22° 45′ 22″ e. d.

Mycenae and Troy were discovered by the German amateur archaeologist, Schliemann. He found these unique Bronze Age monuments using a rather interesting method, using Homer’s Iliad instead of a guidebook: first he found the famous Troy, and after a short period of time, Mycenae.

The heyday of the ancient Mycenaean civilization dates back to the end of the Bronze Age and dates back to 1600 - 1100. BC. Legends claim that Mycenae was built by King Perseus, but historians are inclined to conclude that the founders of the ancient city were the Achaeans, warlike representatives of one of the ancient Greek tribes.

The favorable geographical location and wealth of the city (the Mycenaeans conducted active trade throughout the Mediterranean) led to the fact that by the beginning of the 13th century. ancient Mycenae turned out to be one of the most powerful and influential states located on the territory of mainland Greece.

The power of the rulers of Mycenae extended to the entire nearby territory and, according to scientists, even covered the entire north of the Peloponnese (researchers suggest that the kings of the city could well have led the confederation of the Peloponnesian kingdoms).

It is not surprising that the city of Mycenae had well-fortified walls designed to protect against enemy attacks: they tried to capture it more than once, and often quite successfully (this is evidenced by numerous myths of that period, whose plot was intricately mixed with real events, evidence of which was discovered by archaeologists ).

The Mycenaeans themselves were quite warlike: King Agamemnon organized a campaign against Troy, which competed with the Mycenaeans for dominance in the region, and after a ten-year siege achieved a major victory. According to one legend, victory was granted to him by the gods because, having fulfilled the command of the Oracle, he sacrificed his daughter, Iphigenia (this later caused the death of the king: Agamemnon’s wife, who did not accept the death of her daughter, organized a conspiracy against him).

It should be noted that the Greeks were not able to take advantage of the fruits of the long-awaited victory: around 1200 BC. Dorian tribes invaded the territory of Greece, destroying almost all the cities of the Peloponnese, among which were also Mycenae and Troy (the latter did not even have time to recover from the defeat and just experienced a strong earthquake). Residents of the cities did not leave their territory for some time, hiding in the mountains, but later were forced to leave their lands - some moved to the islands, others moved to Asia Minor.

What the city looked like

Most of the population of Mycenae lived outside the fortress, at the foot of the hill. Excavations carried out by archaeologists showed that before getting to the citadel, it was necessary to pass a cemetery located outside the city walls and residential buildings. Discovered buildings within the city showed that within its boundaries there was a palace, living quarters, temple buildings, warehouses and shaft tombs in which representatives of the ruling dynasties were buried.

Like most ancient cities, Mycenae was a well-fortified fortress and was built on a rocky hill about 280 meters high.

The city was surrounded by a fortress wall made of huge boulders, about 900 meters long, at least 6 meters wide, and in some places the height exceeded 7 meters, while the weight of some stone blocks exceeded 10 tons.

front gate

You could get to the fortress along a stone-paved road through the Lion Gate, the width and depth of which was about three meters.

The Lion Gate was built in Mycenae in the thirteenth century BC during the expansion of the fortress wall. They were erected from three huge, lightly processed limestone blocks, and were closed with two wooden doors (this is evidenced by the recesses located inside the side walls).

The upper horizontal lintel was wider than the pillars on which it was placed - this was done so that a triangular-shaped limestone pediment slab with two depicted lions could be installed on top. According to one hypothesis, the bas-relief crowning the Lion Gate is the coat of arms of the Atrid dynasty, which ruled the city at that time. According to another, it is dedicated to the goddess Potnia, who is the patroness of all animals.

These lions are turned towards each other and, standing on their hind legs, their front legs rest on two altars, between which a column is depicted. Unfortunately, the heads of the animals have not survived to this day, but after carefully studying the bas-relief, scientists came to the conclusion that they were made of a different material (possibly ivory) and most likely looked at the people who entered the citadel through the Lion Gate .

One of the purposes of this bas-relief was to disguise the resulting hole: The Lion Gate was built according to all the rules of its time, so all the blocks that needed to be placed above the lintel were installed with a bevel, which made it possible to transfer most of the load to the side walls between which they were installed Lion Gate.

As a result, an empty space was formed above the lintel, where a slab with a bas-relief was installed, which is considered the earliest monumental sculpture of the Mycenaean period (before Mycenae was discovered, only figurines 50 cm high were found).

Castle

Immediately after the Lion Gate, the road rises up, and then on the left side it ends at a staircase, along which one could climb to the palace, located on the top of the cliff (according to experts, the castle was built in the 14th century BC, and some found fragments in it refer to an earlier period).

The staircase ends in a rectangular courtyard, which could be reached from the throne room, passing the reception room and the portico with two columns. The throne room was rectangular in shape, its roof was supported by four columns, and the walls were decorated with frescoes depicting war chariots, horses and women.

The living quarters were located on the north side of the castle, many of them were two-story. Most likely, they could be accessed from the palace lobby. There was also a temple with round altars, near which a sculptural composition of two goddesses and a child was discovered made of ivory.

It is interesting that during excavations, clay tablets with inscriptions were found in the palace, which turned out to be financial reports of military expenses, as well as lists of people working for the Mycenaean rulers: it was a list of slaves, oarsmen, and artisans. This gives scientists reason to assume that Mycenae was a rather bureaucratic state.

Mine tombs

On the right side of the Lion Gate there were shaft tombs surrounded by a stone fence in which kings were buried. These were burial rooms carved into a rectangular rock, going to a depth of one and a half to five meters. Now at the site of ancient burials there are stone slabs placed on edge, marking their location. In these tombs, archaeologists found real treasures - coins, jewelry, rings, bowls, daggers, swords made of gold, silver and bronze.

Dome and chamber tombs

Before building the fortress, the Mycenaeans buried their rulers in so-called dome tombs, which were shaped like huge domes. In total, archaeologists discovered nine such tombs dating back to the XV-XIV centuries. BC. The tombs were underground structures with a high, tapering dome that rose above the ground. After the funeral, the tomb was closed, and the corridor leading to the burial pit was covered with earth.

One of the most famous tombs of this type is the tomb of Atreus (XIV century), which could be reached through a long corridor, the dromos. The burial pit was underground and had a height of 13 meters and a width of 14 meters (unfortunately, it was not possible to find out what exactly the king took with him to the afterlife, since the grave was plundered in ancient times). A nine-meter square slab was installed above the entrance to the burial room. How exactly the ancient masters were able to establish it, scientists still have not figured out.

Aristocrats and representatives of their families were buried in chamber tombs located nearby. These were basically family crypts carved into the mountainside, into which you can walk along the dromos.

How to get to Mycenae

Those who want to see one of the most famous monuments of the Bronze Age should take into account that it is located on the territory of the Mycenae archaeological park, and therefore entrance to its territory is paid (a ticket costs about 8 euros).

The best way to get to the city of Mycenae from the capital of Greece is by regular bus; the journey in this case will take about two hours, and the ticket will cost 12 euros. You can also use a car and a map - first drive to the city of Argo, passing the Corinth Canal, and from there go to Mycenes.

The Mycenaean (Achaean) civilization (1600-1100 BC) is one of the oldest and most interesting civilizations that ever existed on the territory of modern Greece. This civilization had an undeniable influence on the subsequent development of ancient Greek culture and occupies a special place in literature and mythology, including in the works of Homer.

One of the largest and most important centers of the Mycenaean civilization, of course, was the ancient city of Mycenae, from which, in fact, the culture subsequently received its name. The royal residence was also located here, as well as the tombs of the Mycenaean kings and their entourage. In ancient Greek mythology, Mycenae is well known as the kingdom of the famous Agamemnon, who led the legendary Trojan War.

The ruins of the once majestic Mycenae lie about 90 km southwest of Athens in the north-eastern part of the Peloponnese near the small village of the same name and today are an important archaeological and historical site.

The first excavations of ancient Mycenae were carried out back in 1841 by the Greek archaeologist Kyrriakis Pittakis. It was then that the famous Lion Gate was discovered - a monumental entrance to the acropolis, built from four huge monolithic limestone blocks and got its name because of the huge bas-relief depicting two lions above the entrance. The Lion Gate, as well as fragments of the impressive fortress walls (their width in some places reached 17 m), built in the so-called “Cyclopean” masonry, are well preserved and even today, more than three thousand years later, they amaze with their monumentality.

The archaeological work that began in the 1870s under the auspices of the Archaeological Society of Athens and the leadership of Heinrich Schliemann created a real sensation. During the excavations (both on the territory of the fortress and outside it), a number of burials were revealed in shaft and domed tombs with an incredible number of various funeral gifts, among which the huge number of various items made of gold was especially impressive. However, the architecture of the tombs was also of great interest, perfectly illustrating the skill of ancient architects. The best preserved to this day, perhaps, are the tombs of Clytemnestra and Atreus. The tomb of the latter dates back to the 14th century BC. and is a two-chamber tomb with a dromos corridor (length - 36 m, width - 6 m), leading to a domed room (where the king’s body rested) with a small side chapel, in which a number of burials were also identified. A huge 9-meter stone slab weighing approximately 120 tons was installed above the entrance to the tomb. How the ancient craftsmen managed to install it still remains a mystery. The Tomb of Atreus, or the Treasury of Atreus, is the most grandiose domed structure of that time and one of the most important architectural monuments of the Mycenaean civilization.

In subsequent decades, archaeologists returned more than once to the excavations of the legendary Mycenae and discovered many more different structures, including the remains of a palace complex located on the top of a hill. Recently, the so-called “lower city” was excavated. A detailed study of the results of archaeological excavations has made it possible to significantly lift the veil of secrecy over the mysterious Mycenaean civilization.

The famous “Mycenaean gold” (including the so-called golden “mask of Agamemnon”, 16th century BC), as well as many other unique ancient artifacts found during the excavations of Mycenae, are today kept in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

Mycenae is an ancient city in the northeastern Peloponnese on the Argive Plain. Currently it is a ruin located 32 km north of the Gulf of Argolikos.
Historically, the city appeared on an important part of the route from the Peloponnese north to the rest of Greece. Its significance was so great that it left its mark in ancient Greek mythology. According to legends, the city was founded by Perseus, the son of the supreme god Zeus and the unfortunate Danae, the winner of Medusa the Gorgon. Legends about the divine origin of Mycenae were supposed to confirm the importance and greatness of the city.

Story

People lived in these places in the early Neolithic - 5-6 thousand years ago. Archaeological excavations have shown that on the site of Mycenae in the 3rd millennium BC. e. there was a village. The city appeared later and by the 17th century. BC e. became the capital of the Achaean state - the very first of the main ancient Greek tribes. The ancient poet Homer, describing the Achaeans in the epic poem “The Iliad,” meant all the Greeks of the Peloponnese: Mycenae had become so powerful by that time.
The wealth of Mycenae and the luxurious lifestyle of its rulers are evidenced by precious finds from the burials of Mycenaean kings of the 17th-16th centuries. BC e., made during excavations in the 19th century.
In the XVI-XV centuries. New, more powerful fortifications were erected on the Mycenaean acropolis, and a royal palace was built.
Mycenae was then ruled, according to legend, by the most famous of its kings, Atreus, also a character from ancient Greek mythology, the son of the divine Pelops and the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus, the heroes of Homer’s poems.
Mycenae is best known as the residence of the Pelopids, King Atreus and his son Agamemnon, Agamemnon's wife Clytemnestra and their children Orestes and Electra.
Mycenae flourished between 1400 and 1200. BC e. Rulers of Mycenae in the XIV-XIII centuries. BC e. the descendants of King Atreus erected tholos - large round domed tombs, which replaced the modest shaft tombs built before the rise of Mycenae.
The power of Mycenae at that time extended to the entire northern part of the Peloponnese, the Mycenaeans captured Knossos on Crete, traded with Ancient Egypt and the Hittite kingdom, Cyprus and Syria.
It is clear that such a rich city had many enemies.
The walls around the acropolis became even higher, and those who wanted to get behind them, into the fortress, had to go through the Lion Gate. Anticipating brutal wars and a grueling siege of Mycenae, in the 12th century. BC e. An underground stepped gallery was cut from the fortress to a source located far below.
The fate of Mycenae was decided by a terrible fire that occurred around 1200 BC. e. The city died in flames.
Centuries later, Mycenae was partially restored, but its former greatness never returned. Although, to prove their strength, Mycenae took part in the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. e. and at the Battle of Marathon 490 BC. e. - the largest during the Greco-Persian wars of 499-449. BC e.
The entire Peloponnese was captured by the Dorians, another ancient Greek tribe. They made neighboring Argos their capital; they did not want Mycenae to be strengthened, and in 470 they captured the city and destroyed it to the ground.
There was still life in the ruins of the city for some time, but by the 2nd century. it was completely abandoned and abandoned.
The city played such an important role in ancient times that “Mycenaean” is the name given to the entire period of prehistoric civilization in Greece (1600-1100 BC).
The ruins of the ancient city of Mycenae are located on the Greek peninsula. The city's strategic location is a rocky ridge overlooking the passage from the Peloponnese north to the rest of Greece.
Excavations in Mycenae were started by enthusiastic archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, who argued that Homer’s poems directly indicated the location of the burials of the Mycenaean kings.
Excavations of Mycenae began only in 1874, they were carried out by Heinrich Schliemann (1822-1890), who had already become famous for the discovery of the “Gold of Troy”, which resulted in a huge international scandal. The German archaeologist carried out excavations until 1876 and managed to discover traces of civilization of the 2nd millennium BC. e., described in the works of the ancient Greek geographer Pausanias, and before that were considered the same myth as the legends of Perseus and Medusa the Gorgon.
Schliemann sought to find the tomb of the Mycenaean king Agamemnon, and discovered the tomb, although archaeologists express great doubt that this is the burial place of Agamemnon. But a lot of treasures were found: the total weight of gold finds was more than 14 kg. Excavations have confirmed the truth of many of the descriptions made by Homer in the Iliad and Odyssey.
Excavations were carried out even after Schliemann. All found ruins and structures can be divided into three groups.
The shaft tombs are the earliest objects excavated at Mycenae. These are not actually mines, but rather large stone wells. They were untouched, the robbers did not reach them. The decoration of all six tombs is striking in its extraordinary splendor and richness. The faces of the dead were covered with gold masks, and gold items lay scattered around, from jewelry to many gold disks and plates embossed in the form of octopuses and rosettes, as well as bronze daggers with hammered gold handles, with fine gold and silver inlays on the blades. Above the graves are steles with carved images of chariots, hunting scenes and spiral patterns.
Tholos, or domed tombs, have been found outside the city walls. A total of nine of them were discovered, and nearby - a large number of chamber tombs. These are underground vaulted structures in the shape of an ancient beehive, with a high dome. A dromos, a corridor, leads into the tholos. When the burial ceremony was completed, the entrance was blocked with stones, and the dromos was filled with earth. The largest tholos, called the “Tomb of Atreus,” is made of giant stone blocks. The lintel beam measures 38.512 m and weighs about 120 tons (!). The diameter of the tomb is 15 m, the height is 13 m. Of course, they buried in them not characters from ancient Greek myths - Atreus and Clytemnestra, but representatives of the reigning family. The domed tombs were unlucky: they were plundered in ancient times.
The fortress walls and the palace are the most recent objects in Mycenae. The walls are made of huge stone blocks. The wall has a Lion Gate with bastions on the sides. They owe their name to the triangular slab at the top, on which two lionesses are carved. These animals are the only work of monumental sculpture of that time that has survived to this day.
Little remains of the palace; one can only judge from the size of the ruins that it was monumental and consisted of many ceremonial, residential and utility rooms. There was also a Doric temple here: its remains have been found.
In the vast lower city, quarters with stone houses of wealthy artisans and merchants, conventionally called the House of the Wine Merchant, the House of Shields, and the House of the Oil Trader, have been preserved.
Next to the ruins of ancient Mycenae there is a town bearing the same name.
From a hill almost devoid of vegetation, where only poppies grow red, on which the ruins of Mycenae are located under the scorching sun, a panorama of the entire Argolis region opens up - right up to the Saronic Gulf of the Aegean Sea.

general information

Location: southern Greece.
Official status: archaeological site Mycenae and Tiryns.

Administrative affiliation: decentralized administration of the Peloponnese, Western Greece and Ionia, administrative region (periphery) of the Peloponnese, nome of Argolis, municipality of Argos-Mycenae, Greece.
Date of foundation: around the 17th century. BC.
First written mention: VIII century BC e.
Language: Greek.

Ethnic composition: Greeks.

Religion: Greek Orthodoxy.
Currency unit: euro.

Numbers

Area: 0.32 km 2 (heyday, 1350 BC).

Fortress wall: length - about 900 m, weight of stone blocks - from 20 to 100 tons, height - up to 7.5 m.

Height above sea level: 278 m.

Distance: 90 km southwest of Athens.

Climate and weather

Mediterranean.

Warm winter, hot summer.

Average January temperature: +14°C.

Average temperature in July: +27°С.
Average annual precipitation: 400 mm.

Relative humidity: 65%.

Attractions

■ Archaeological Park "Mycenae": shaft tombs (XVII-XVI centuries BC), fortress walls (XIV century BC), Lion Gate (late XIV-XIII centuries BC), tholos (chamber tombs, XV-XIV centuries), palace (XVI-XIII centuries BC), residential buildings, warehouses, tanks (XIV-XIII centuries BC), granary (XII century BC .), reservoir “Perseus Spring”.

Curious facts

■ Ancient Greek myths about the founding of Mycenae by Perseus say that the main fortifications of the city were erected by the Cyclopes - powerful giants. Hence the name of the masonry made of roughly hewn blocks of enormous size - cyclopean.
■ The name “Mycenae” is clearly not of Greek origin and was inherited from local tribes by Hellenes who came from other places. Nevertheless, myths associate this name with the Greek word “mykes” - “mushroom”. The ancient Greek geographer Pausanias claimed that Perseus himself came up with the name after looking at the mushroom-shaped peak on which Mycenae was located.
■ The first written mention of Mycenae is found in the poems of Homer.
■ In the second half of the 20th century. and at the beginning of the 21st century. The authenticity of the Mask of Agamemnon has been questioned. Some archaeologists referred to the fact that even before the excavations in Mycenae, Schliemann was noticed in forgery: he deliberately brought to the excavations objects that were found in completely different places, and the Mask of Agamemnon is sharply different in style from everything else that was found in Mycenae. The official point of view categorically denies forgery.
■ The ruins of Mycenae became a tourist attraction back in the era Ancient Rome: Wealthy Romans made trips here to see the remains of Mycenae's former greatness.
■ Schliemann fully trusted what was written in Homer’s poems and interpreted it accordingly in his research. So, having discovered a skull under a golden mask in a Mycenaean tomb, he immediately exclaimed: “I saw the face of Agamemnon!”
■ In 1999, the ruins of the city of Mycenae were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
■ Of the other Pelopids (descendants of the divine Pelops), who chose Mycenae as their capital, the most famous are Agamemnon’s wife, Clytemnestra, and her children, Orestes and Electra. Their fate, as set out in myths, is terrible: Clytemnestra killed her husband (“buried” away from the city wall of Mycenae), Orestes killed his own mother (died from a snake bite), Electra (pushed her brother to kill his mother, “buried” in Mycenae). Electra became the main character in tragedies set in Mycenae: Aeschylus's "Choephoros", Sophocles' "Electra", Euripides' "Electra" and "Orestes", Seneca's "Agamemnon".
■ As a merchant, Heinrich Schliemann made his fortune by supplying the Russian army during the Crimean War of 1853-1856: he traded in strategic goods - sulfur, saltpeter, lead, tin, iron and gunpowder.
■ The Mycenaean civilization replaced the Minoan when its center, the island of Crete, was destroyed by the eruption of the Santorini volcano, which served as the basis for the myth of the death of Atlantis.
■ Another “signature” item found by Schliemann in the tombs of Mycenae in 1876 is the famous golden Cup of Nestor. Schliemann stated that this was the exact cup that Homer described in the Iliad as belonging to Nestor, king of Pylos. Most archaeologists do not agree with Schliemann: the Mycenaean burial appeared three centuries before the expected date of the Trojan War, and the appearance of the cup differs from that described by Homer.
■ The area where the ruins of Mycenae are located is very poorly developed economically, but people from these places occupied and continue to occupy a leading place in Greek politics.

Mycenaean Greece

Greece entered the historical arena later than those countries mentioned earlier. Thanks to a visit to Greece in the 70s of the 2nd century AD. Pausanias, we have a unique opportunity to draw rich and varied information from the “Description of Hellas” (10 books). The forerunner of the future glory of Greece, as is known, was the Crete-Minoan civilization, which created the first state and original writing. Therefore, scientists often begin their narration with “Achaean Greece” or “Mycenaean Greece”. As we have seen, Mycenae was an important political center of Hellas for centuries, and the Mycenaean dialect was the oldest dialect of Greek. According to tradition, the founder of Mycenae was the ancient hero Perseus. Here he allegedly lost the tip of his sword, considering this a sign for the founding of the city. According to other versions, the name of the city was given by a water source or by a woman (princess Mycenae), whom Homer wrote about as “magnificently crowned” in his “Odyssey.” A. Losev even expressed the following guess: “If Homer speaks of some forgotten heroine Mycenae, then the question arises whether at one time Mycenae was not the goddess Mycenae, as in subsequent times Athena was the patroness of Athens.”

An extremely important role in the study Ancient Greece It also takes up the study of written monuments of that time, starting from 2000 BC, the time when the tribes came to the territory of Hellas. From those former Achaean kingdoms, Knossos and Pylos, many documents remain in the form of written tablets. Although the Achaean scribes kept only current documentation on clay, not particularly caring about the long-term preservation of the tablets, their creations still survived to our era. Remaining unfired and only drying out, the documents were able to reach us safe and sound, apparently only thanks to an accidental, completely unforeseen burning in the fires that destroyed the premises of the palace archives. These sources, along with the works of scientists and writers, are taken into account in the subsequent analysis.

Perseus and Andromeda

Pausanias, giving a description of those places, at the same time pointed to the fiercest rivalry among the Greek tribes and policies: “The Argives destroyed Mycenae out of envy. During the invasion of the Medes, the Argives did not show any activity, but the Mycenaeans sent 80 people to Thermopylae, who took part with the Lacedaemonians in their feat (fighting next to them). This glorious behavior of theirs brought them death, irritating the Argives. To this day, part of the city wall and the gate on which the lions stand still remain from Mycenae. It is said that all these structures are the work of the Cyclops, who built the fortress wall at Tiryns for Pretus. Among the ruins of Mycenae there is an (underground) spring called Perseus."

In the chain of historical connections, it should also be remembered that Atreus was the son of Pelops (i.e., the grandfather of Agamemnon and Menelaus). The entire history of the Atrid family is full of murders and crimes. They rose to power through killing brothers, stealing sons, persecuting them, and training them to be killers of their fathers. Apparently, in the past, Pelops, who is called a Lydian and a Phrygian, was defeated and expelled from Troy by its king, Ilus. Thus, the war of the Atrides against Troy (according to this version) takes on a completely different meaning, namely their return to the land of their ancestors. According to ancient legend, Ilion could only be taken if the bones of Pelops were transported under the walls of Troy. In Mycenae, in the underground structures of Atreus and his sons, their treasures and wealth were kept. “Here is the grave of Atreus, as well as the graves of those who, together with Agamemnon, returned from Ilion and whom Aegisthus killed at the feast. And those of the Lacedaemonians who live near Amycles lay claim to the tomb of Cassandra; the second grave is Agamemnon, then the grave of the charioteer Eurymedon, then the graves of Teledamus and Pelops. They say that they were twins born by Cassandra, and that they were stabbed to death by Aegisthus as infants, killing their parents. And (the grave of) Electra; she was the wife of Pylades, given in marriage to him by Orestes. Hellanicus reports that from Electra Pylades had two sons - Medont and Strophius. Clytemnestra and Aegisthus are buried a little away from the wall; they were considered unworthy to lie within the walls of the city, where Agamemnon himself and those who were killed with him were buried.”

Treasury and Tomb of Atreus

The Mycenaean civilization occupied an intermediate position between Egypt and classical Greece, reaching its peak around 1600 BC. Then she spread her influence to most of the then ancient world (Egypt, Troy, Italy, the Eastern Mediterranean). Many works are dedicated to her, including the work of the Greek scientists K. Tsountas and I. Manatt “The Mycenaean Age” (1897) and the book by W. Taylor “The Mycenaeans”. According to long-standing Greek tradition, it is believed that the Dorian tribes invaded the Peloponnese from the north at the end of the 2nd millennium, and then penetrated Crete and the Dodecanese islands. Taylor believes that it is likely that the ancestors of the Greeks came from the east, passing through the northern Anatolian plateau to Troy (by land or sea - it is not clear). In other words, he admits that they could have Indo-Aryan origins, since Mycenaean pottery was in some ways similar to the gray ware from northeast Iran. The invaders brought with them new types of weapons, most notably cavalry and chariots, which allowed them to hold territory.

Mycenae settlement plan

During migration, certain tribes brought their language to new places of settlement. The Greeks themselves recognized the existence of three dialects: Ionian, Aeolian, Dorian and assumed the existence of three large tribes. According to many, “Mycenaean” is an archaic form of the Greek language, showing monotony wherever it was found - in Knossos, Pylos, Mycenae, Thebes, etc. S. Marinatom (Athens) says the following about the Mycenaean culture. The first “Greeks,” in his opinion, invaded Greece at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. In the 16th century, the earliest Mycenaeans appeared, representing an agrarian population living in small villages or towns. The largest of these at that time was Orkhomenes. At that time, urban civilization existed only in Crete, which had a population already around 1580 BC. was familiar with Minoan culture. This was proven by excavations in Mycenae and confirmed by work in Peristeria (Triphylia). However, in other Mycenaean settlements the living conditions themselves were still very primitive. The scientist believes that the first rulers of those places may have come from Syria, which was at that time in contact with Egypt. They brought with them elements of eastern material culture and the influence of Minoan art. Having captured Mycenae and taken possession of its wealth, they became its first ruling dynasty. An eastern origin is indicated by the presence of a double royal family and the custom of making a mask representing the dead alive, a custom well known in the Neolithic era to the inhabitants of Egypt and Syria. Unfortunately, archaeologists have not yet found the city archives of Mycenae, and therefore the history of Mycenaean Greece (Ahiyava) is studied from artifacts, in particular from Hittite writings.

Lion Gate at the Acropolis of Mycenae

The famous Lion Gate, decorated with a relief depicting two lionesses, speaks of how powerful the rulers of Mycenae were. To build such huge fortifications, it took the labor of thousands of people, because it is no coincidence that the legend would then spread that they were created by one-eyed giants - the Cyclops. Matching these structures were the stone tombs of the Mycenaean rulers - tholos. Speaking about one of them, the tomb of Agamemnon, the Polish researcher K. Kumanetsky wrote: “Both in this tomb and in others, what is striking first of all is the monumentality of the building itself: this has never been seen in Crete. Massive doors, more than five meters high, are covered on top by two huge blocks, one of which weighs, presumably, 120 tons... Similar “dome tombs”, or tholos, date back to the late Mycenaean era, i.e. by 1400-1200 BC This was a period of complete dominance of the Achaeans in the Aegean world and the increased power of the Mycenaean kings, who maintained direct relations with Egypt." You can partially imagine the impression the majestic tombs of the kings made on the souls of the Greeks by reading the poem “The Tomb of Agamemnon” by the Polish poet J. Slovacki:

Let the music of a whimsical structure

Accompanies the course of these thoughts.

In front of me are underground chambers,

Agamemnon's funerary vault.

Here the blood of the Atrids stained

I sit without words in the middle of nowhere

The golden harp is irretrievable,

Which descriptions have just reached.

I read antiquity in the cleft,

I can hear the speech of the Hellenes in the distance.

Mycenae was one of the most powerful city states. On the eve of the Trojan War, the entire Central and Eastern Mediterranean was under Mycenaean rule, but it was no longer as strong as before. In the middle of the 13th century BC. the capital of Mycenae itself suffered from a sudden invasion. Perhaps this attack happened during the civil war. By the way, the war against Troy is a reflection of the same trend of fierce rivalry between small but aggressive states in the region. Some attribute the fall of Troy to 1260 BC, others agree with Eratosthenes, who gave the date 1184 BC. Apparently, this happened in the last third of the Late Helladic period. Then many fortified cities of the mainland were destroyed: Mycenae, Tiryns, Media, Pylos. It must be said that Mycenae was the oldest city in Greece. G. Schliemann rushed here in 1876, reasonably believing that on the land where the graves of Agamemnon, Erimedon, Cassandra and other heroes were supposed to be located, the most amazing discoveries awaited him. He was not mistaken in paying attention first of all to the inside of the acropolis. The Mycenaean citadel was surrounded by walls made of huge stones (the width of the walls was 6 m). There are similar ruins of fortress walls in Greece, but the inhabitants of the mainland could not tell anything about them.

Cyclops Polyphemus

In Mycenae, Schliemann discovered five tombs, which in their scientific significance eclipsed the treasures of King Priam, which he found on the site of Troy. And this is what he found. In the fourth tomb, the archaeological expedition of G. Schliemann discovered five large copper cauldrons, one of which was filled with gold buttons (68 gold buttons without ornament and 118 gold buttons with carved ornament). Next to the cauldrons lay a rhyton - a silver bull's head (about 50 cm high) with steep, curved golden horns and a golden rosette in the forehead. The mouth, eyes and ears of this bull-rhyton were covered with a layer of gold. Two other heads of bull-rhytons made of sheet gold also lay nearby. In other graves, golden laurel wreaths, tiaras, and jewelry in the form of swastikas were found (which apparently indicates an Aryan source of origin). N. Ionina writes: “But the most remarkable among all the (golden masks) found was one mask, which was preserved much better than all the others. She reproduces features that have been considered Hellenic for centuries: a narrow face, a long nose, big eyes, a large mouth with somewhat plump lips... The mask has closed eyes, the tips of the mustache are slightly curled upward, a thick beard covers the chin and cheeks.” True, P. Faure characterizes these masks as “very ugly.” The graves were literally filled with gold. But for G. Schliemann it was not the gold that was important, although there was almost 30 kilograms of it. “After all, these are the graves of the Atrides that Pausanias spoke about! These are masks of Agamemnon and his loved ones, everything speaks for this: the number of graves, the number of buried people (17 people - 12 men, 3 women and two children), and the wealth of things placed in them... After all, it is so huge that only royal family Schliemann had no doubt that the mask of a man with a beard covered the face of Agamemnon.” Later research showed that the mask was made almost three centuries before the birth of Agamemnon, but it is associated with the Mycenaean king and is called “The Mask of Agamemnon.”

Items of Cretan-Mycenaean culture: golden cup, mask, daggers

Other cities, Gla, Zigouris, Proimna, Berbati, Karakos, were abandoned by their inhabitants. As for the famous campaign against Troy, it probably took place a number of decades before the first events, as Homer and other later authors speak about. Many tribes found shelter and refuge in Greece. As A. Khomyakov wrote, all of Hellas, from the borders of Slavic Thrace to the southern tip of the Peloponnese, was inhabited by a “rabble of tribes.” The Hellenes came from the north. Epirus was the home of barbarian tribes, from the very borders of the Slavic land. And the ancient inhabitants of Hellas, the mysterious Pelasgians, disappeared mixed with northern newcomers, lost their way of life “from the influence of their military activity and forgot their language, in the aggressive movement of alien enlightenment.” In ancient times, the Greeks were called Achaeans (the Italians called them Greeks). Tradition tells us little about the peoples who inhabited Greece before the arrival of the Greeks. They were divided into Dorians, Aetolians, Achaeans, Ionians, Aeolians (these are just names). The Greeks themselves called themselves Hellenes. According to legends, the family of Hellin's father included Aeolus, Dor, Achaeus and Ion. “The whole race of people originates from the Hellenes,” wrote Diogenes Laertius. Of course, both statements are not entirely true. Nevertheless, the great interest in Ancient Greece, the foremother of European civilization, the cradle of Christian Hellenism, is understandable. To this day, European culture sees its “golden childhood” in Hellas, and in childhood there is always a fairy tale.

Samples of Dorian clothing

Of course, the “golden childhood of the Greeks” is a fairy tale inspired by the brilliant Homer, which is based on some very real events. The Achaean society he described is much more reminiscent of a crowd of wild barbarians, who were deprived of their reason by Zeus the Provider. Unfortunately, there are not many sources from which one can study their gods and cults. Almost all the authentic texts have perished, and what was considered something like a “sacred gate for introduction to the Greek religion” (Homer, Hesiod, Sophocles) is now perceived as a secular source and gives little to the understanding of religion itself. The religion and mythology of the Greeks nevertheless represent one of the most striking and memorable aspects of world culture. Like other peoples, the Greeks had a widespread belief in spirits and cults of the dead. They revered trees, animals, idols, gods. In the traditional cults of the Hellenes we see features of savagery, tribal underdevelopment, and cruelty. For example, in Athens and in the large trading ports of Ionia, even in the 6th and 5th centuries BC, when it was already possible to talk about the “spring of civilization” that had come into its own, the Greeks adhered to the most savage and cruel rules in morality. Thus, in the cities, second-rate human material was specially kept in the form of degenerate human scum (cripples, idiots, etc.). When famine or plague occurred, the authorities usually sacrificed them. The unfortunates were stoned, burned alive, and before that they were beaten on their limbs with ritual rods. The ashes of the poor people who were scapegoats (“pharmacists”) were scattered over the sea.

Three Persian warriors

Or another example. On the morning of the famous Battle of Salamis, when the fate of Greece was being decided, commander Themistocles, hoping to appease the gods, burned three prisoners. These were beautiful young men, dressed in luxurious clothes and decorated with gold, and they were also the nephews of the Persian king. And so the commander-in-chief of the Greeks, an erudite, strangled them with his own hands on the ship, in full view of the fleet. Democritus, a scientist, the founder of atomistic materialism, with the cruelty of a sadist, demanded from young ladies that menstruating girls run around the fields three times before the harvest: supposedly, menstrual blood contains a charge of fruitful energy.

Corinth and Acrocorinth

The conquest of Greece took place over a long period of time. “At the beginning of the 16th century there is an increasing influence of Crete on their culture and, one might say, begins the influence known (to us) as the Age of Mycenae. Mycenaean-type states, similar to those described in the Iliad, began to form in Athens (although not very significant) and in Attica. Mycenaean power was strongest in the Peloponnese, where Pylos ruled Messenia, and in a group of fortresses in the Argolid dependent on Mycenae. Laconia, which lay between these two territories, has been practically unexplored, and its Mycenaean capital has not yet been discovered. It should be noted that all these states occupied fertile plains or hills. There were few such places in Greece, and they were separated from each other by high mountain ranges, so sometimes they could only be reached by sea. The northwestern region of Greece consisted mainly of mountains, so it is not surprising that this area played virtually no role in the history of Mycenae,” writes W. Taylor. The city of Mycenae lasted about 500 years and was probably destroyed around 1100 BC.

Acrocorinth – fortress walls

There is evidence indicating that Mycenaean influence can be traced not only in Greece, but also in Italy, where settlers colonized Apulia (this is confirmed by archaeological finds). Mycenaean influence is also noticeable in Sicily, where features of the same Rhodian culture are visible as in southern Italy. In ancient prehistoric times, violent disputes arose between the Greeks, which led to wars (such as the famous War of the Seven Cities against Thebes, as a result of which both sides were destroyed).

Polis owe much of their rise and prosperity to their geographical location. Such was the ancient city-state of Corinth, founded near Isthmus - the only route from the Peloponnese to the rest of mainland Greece, between the gulfs of two seas - the Saronic and Corinthian. According to Pausanias, Corinth was considered the “son of Zeus”, being part of the power of Agamemnon and at first, according to Homer, representing a wretched settlement. The geographical conditions here were not very favorable. However, it was precisely the strategic and trade advantages of the place (control of routes between the seas, the ability to establish broad trade relations with the centers of the East and West) that made it an important link in the regional system. Availability of sources and high mountain Acrocorinth made it possible to populate, equip, and then defend the citadel from hostile invasions. Before the appearance of the Dorian tribes, the Phoenicians, other eastern peoples, as well as the Aeolian tribes who came here from Thessaly lived here. Around 900 BC The Dorians crossed here on ships. They initially settled in Arcadia, captured Argolis, and then invaded Corinthia. So Corinth was subjugated by them, as a result of which ethnic composition population has changed. The poet Eumelus wrote about the distant past of Corinth in his poem “Corinthian History”. It was he who identified Corinth with Homer’s Ephyra, the city in which Sisyphus (Sisyphus) reigned. Eumelus also connected the history of Corinth with the Aeolian-Thessalian myths of Jason and Medea. In accordance with this mythology, Sisif was considered the first king of Corinth. Bellerophon was also a local hero, whose fabulous horse Pegasus became not only the emblem of the city, but also a symbol of poetic ascent.

Fountain of the Lower Pyrene

From about the 8th century BC. the first great flowering of Corinth begins, when Corinth's political dependence on Argos ceased and it founded its first colonies in the West - Kerkyra in 730 BC. and Syracuse in 720 BC. The consequence of this process was the rapid development of its economy, industrial progress, and the export of Corinthian products to the West. Artistic crafts are also developing, as evidenced by numerous Proto-Corinthian and Corinthian vessels, painted tables from the sanctuary of the Archaic era, painted metopes of Fermat, and the Kypsela casket. The Corinthians were excellent sailors, reaching heights in this art during the period of the second Greek colonization. The Corinthian Aminocles was believed to have built it in 704 BC. the first trireme for the Samians. Subsequently, it was precisely the fact that the inhabitants of Corinth began to represent a formidable sea ​​power and carried out intensive colonization, often causing unfair anger and hatred towards them from Athens. The latter sought to destroy their rival in trade, which inevitably pushed Corinth into the arms of Athens' most formidable enemy, Sparta.

Theseus and Ariadne

It is curious that it was under the tyrants (Kypsel and his son Periander) that the economy, art and culture flourished to their greatest heights. Periander was even named among the 7 main sages of ancient Greece. At the same time, Corinth became one of the most powerful powers of that era, developing relations with the kings and rulers of Asia Minor, the East and Egypt. Trade and production of various kinds of bronze and clay products, various fabrics attract more and more inhabitants and buyers here. The city became one of the favorite meeting places for rich people, merchants, sailors, warriors and women of a cheerful disposition. Hetaera was primarily attracted by the opportunity to make good money on a craft, because, to paraphrase Seneca, let’s say: apparently, man by nature is a lustful animal and prone to debauchery and meanness.

Hilt of a Mycenaean ceremonial sword

Love cannot live not only without money, reciprocity, but also without praises. That is why they say that a new genre of poetry arose in Corinth - dithyramb. Among the architectural monuments, the Temple of Apollo stands out. Not only all types of art are flourishing, but also engineering. Periander conceived the idea of ​​building a paved road - a “diolk” (drag) with deep gutters along which empty ships and goods could be transported on special platforms from one side of the Isthmus to the other.

Corinth during the Greco-Persian Wars (5th century BC) is one of the three great powers of the Greek world and participates in all battles against the Persians. Rivalry with Athens for supremacy at sea and in trade led to inevitable clashes with rivals. The rise of Athens and Sparta will soon relegate him, however, to secondary roles. Corinth became perhaps the main instigator of the Peloponnesian War. Corinth would later become the capital of the Achaean League (after 200 BC). However, dissatisfaction with the policies of the Roman power led to the fact that Corinth decided to break away from Rome. In 146 BC. The commander Lucius Mummius defeated the Achaean League in battle and destroyed Corinth to the ground. For a hundred years the city then lay in ruins, until finally Julius Caesar began to repopulate Corinth (from 44). His work was continued by Octavian Augustus. In the 1st century AD As a Roman colony and port, the city again experienced a period of growth and prosperity. It was in Corinth that Emperor Nero arrived to proclaim the freedom of the Greek cities (66-67 AD).

Ancient Greece was an association of city-states (polises), each of which had its own gods and heroes, laws and calendar. Theseus, who was considered the creator of the state, was especially revered in Athens. Many legends were created about him, which any Athenian schoolchild knew very well. The actions of this hero largely predetermined the future fate of the Athenian state. Before him, the inhabitants of Attica were often at odds, being both politically and spiritually divided. Having decided to unite them into a single people, Theseus patiently walked around the Greeks, trying to show them all the benefits of living together, the advantages of unity in battles against enemies. Being very strong by nature, he only in rare cases resorted to force as a last resort. Theseus also approved the general Attic holiday - Panathenaia. Every year in August, various gymnastic and musical competitions were held in Greece (and the Great Panathenaea was solemnly held every four years). The winners of the games were awarded wreaths or amphorae with olive oil. He is also credited with dividing the inhabitants of Attica into nobility, farmers and artisans. Theseus destroyed the previous communal councils, replacing them with a single council. This council was located in the center of the city, which it named Athens in honor of its patron goddess. Having accomplished so many glorious deeds, the Greek hero voluntarily laid down the burdens of power, showing himself to be a wise legislator and teaching a lesson to the rulers of subsequent eras who consider themselves “democrats.”

The “cultural soul” did not immediately find shelter in the hearts of the Greeks... The nomadic tribes that came to Hellas, regardless of whether they came from the Balkans, from Scythia or anywhere else, like other peoples, paid tribute to superstition and primitive savagery. At the same time, they grew cereals, hunted game, planted figs and olives (olives were the main food item of the Greeks), cultivated vineyards and made wine. The land provided them with food and a minimum amount of fruits (oil and wine), which could be put into trade, receiving wheat, textiles, weapons, etc. for them. An important strategic factor was the ownership of the straits, through which all trade with grain markets on the Black Sea coast or in Egypt was carried out. After all, about half of the grain exported to Athens was delivered there from the Bosporan kingdom. The fact that bread in Greece and its colonies was considered a strategic commodity is also evidenced by the oath that the inhabitants of Tauride Chersonesos took: “I will not sell the bread received from the fields of (our) homeland, I will not export it to another place besides Kherson "

As we see, the Greeks two thousand years ago perfectly understood the need for state regulation in their grain farming (which, it seems, our ministers-economists do not understand). Greece's location was conducive to its prosperity. The mainland was divided into three parts: northern Greece, central Greece (or Hellas proper), and southern Greece (Peloponnese) connected to Hellas by an isthmus. The country, located behind the mountain ranges, was a natural citadel, the passage to which was very, very difficult due to narrow gorges, which was brilliantly proven by the 300 Spartans of King Leonidas with their feat (during the courageous defense of Thermopylae).

On the other hand, a number of Greek regions found themselves disunited, divided by nature itself. There are no traces of any large rivers like the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates, Yellow River, Volga and Dnieper here. This complicated connections between the individual ethnic groups inhabiting the peninsula. Hence the difficulty in uniting local tribes. Civil strife more than once brought the Greeks to the brink of death (including in the battle with the Persians). What can we say, even if on the small island of Amorg (21 by 3 sq. miles) as many as three independent political communities were formed. Proximity to the sea also meant a lot (in the Peloponnese there is not a single point more than 7 miles from the sea, in central Greece - more than 8 miles). Of particular importance was the fact that the large number of islands that make up the archipelago form a kind of continuous bridge connecting Europe with Asia. Among the islands on the western coast of Greece was the island of Ithaca, the birthplace of the Homeric hero Odysseus.

Ithaca Island today

The lands of Attica were rich in iron, silver, building stone, marble, and alumina. In the same Attica there was also silver (in the south, in Lavria). In Greece there were cities such as Sybaris, which stood out for the wealth that the silver mine brought. For gold, the Greeks rushed further - to the northern coast, to Macedonia, Thrace, Lydia or Colchis. By the way, the legend about Jason’s journey for the Golden Fleece, according to Strabo, suggested this method of obtaining gold among some peoples: the skin of a ram, that is, the “golden fleece,” was immersed in water, as a result of which grains of gold settled on its wool. The aforementioned Sybaris, owning a harbor on the Etruscan Sea, was the most important intermediary in trade between Miletus and the Etruscans. It was mainly through mediation that he became rich, for the sake of which he freed customs duty even the most expensive goods. It all turned eastern part the countries where the metal deposits were located became the most developed and prosperous. Oddly enough, being near the sea, the Greeks constantly experienced a great need for drinking water. Fresh water was worth its weight in gold here. Even the oath of the members of the union who guarded Delphi is known. They vowed never to take away “running water from the allied communities.” It is interesting that when setting out on a journey, the Greeks usually said to each other: “Bon voyage and fresh water.”

Ancient Greek ship

In the times described, the sea plays an increasingly important role (in matters of trade, life support and the defense capability of countries). Greece was no exception. If Egypt was created by the Nile, then the fate of Greece, Crete, Cyprus and Phenicia largely depended on how friendly they were with the sea... Pericles proudly told the Athenians: “After all, you believe that you rule only over your allies; I affirm that of both parts of the earth’s surface accessible to people - land and sea - you dominate one completely, and not only where our ships now sail; you can, if you wish, rule anywhere. And no one, not a single king, not a single people can now prevent you from going to sea with your powerful fleet.” Athens, heading the Maritime Union, was the largest maritime hegemon of that era (note that at one time this union included up to 200 states). Dominance at sea made it possible to control maritime trade.

Map of the city of Athens with the port of Piraeus

Streams of foreign goods poured into the port of Athens, Piraeus. It is estimated that the large port of Piraeus alone provided space for 372 ships at a time. The construction of the port cost the Athenians 100 talents (6 million drachmas), which is equivalent to 26 tons of silver. As a result, Athens became a monopolist in the trade of bread delivered from Pontus, Euboea, Rhodes and Egypt. After providing themselves with bread, the Athenians allowed the captains to go to other places, taking care that merchants, travelers, and pilgrims had refuge and shelter in other ports. “When capital is accumulated, it is good and useful to build city hotels near the piers for shipowners, appropriate places for buying and selling for merchants, and similar hotels in the city for those traveling to the city. And if premises and shops were set up for small traders in Piraeus and in the city itself, this would bring both decoration and great income to the city,” noted Xenophon. A very sensible remark.

Hippodamus - architect of Piraeus and a number of cities

The Greeks were well aware of the key importance of the sea in their lives. The temperate climate and generally poor soil did not allow them to rely solely on the riches of the subsoil or Agriculture. “Power over Greece is power over the sea,” the Greeks said. They used to call the Aegean Sea the “Tsar Sea”. The life of the peoples of the Mediterranean is replete with maritime events. Key routes within the Aegean Sea were tightly controlled by the navy. After all, by the time of the Peloponnesian War, Athens had 300 triremes, Corcyra had 10, Chios - 60, Megara - 40 triremes. Even intellectuals took part in the battles for supremacy at sea: for example, the fleet of Samos in 441 was led by the philosopher Melis, who defeated the fleet of Athens led by Sophocles. The tribes in the south and west of Greece, where navigation first developed, soon formed a kind of intertribal community. Each of them “told the other everything that he knew from navigation and ethnography, everything that he had experienced at sea, all the information about shipbuilding.” The earliest to acquire stable maritime skills was the Dardanian tribe, who believed that their homeland was Crete. The historian E. Curtius classifies the Ionians who lived in Lydia as belonging to this branch. Lydia, with its excellent ports, became a rival of Phenicia in trade.

Antique ship in the port

To a large extent, one can judge the power of the Greeks on the basis of the data given in the Iliad. The leader of the Mycenaeans Agamemnon brought a hundred ships to Troy, the second place was for the Pylians - 90 ships, the third place for the Argives and Cretans - 80 ships each, the Spartans and Arcadians - 50 each, the Athenian and Myrmidon fleets - 50 ships each. A total of 1,186 ships arrived at Troy. The base of King Agamemnon's fleet was Iolcus, from where the Argonauts began their journey on the ship "Argo" ("Fast"). Until the end of antiquity, the Argo ship was considered the first floating ship. Agamemnon also had other naval bases, the strategic importance of which was great. It should be added that sea ​​life of the Greeks, in addition to ordinary trade, was inextricably linked with their robbery. All this was in order. The Cretans, in order to clear the archipelago of pirates and become masters of the sea routes, themselves create pirate-military squadrons on Cythera and Egilia. The Spartan Chilo always expected an attack from here. Squadrons of Greeks acted against the Phoenician pirates. King Minos went to Greece by sea to avenge his stolen son. His ships are guided by dolphins (in memory of their help, he establishes the cult of Apollo of Delphi). It is said that the busiest sea routes of those times - or the so-called “Apollo paths” - were also paved by smart dolphins.

Dolphins on the walls of the palace at Knossos

Journey of Odysseus. Odysseus and his companions

The sea became an arena of open robbery. The kings were no different from robbers, leading squadrons of pirates and boasting of wars and robberies (Iliad, XIV, 229-234). Achilles raids from Argolis to Mysia, steals Briseis from Lyrnessos, and razes the city allied to Troy to the ground. The son of Peleus exclaims: “I have destroyed twelve populous cities with ships; The eleven on foot took the fruitful Trojan land; In each of them he obtained a lot of priceless and glorious treasures.” Hercules destroys Troy in order to profit from the famous horses. Agamemnon proudly recalls how, having destroyed flowering Lesbos, he took from there many beautiful captives. Odysseus, a “pirate by vocation,” as soon as his ship was washed by the wind and currents to the Thracian shore, immediately begins to plunder the first nearby city, considering this a great merit:

Before Troy went

armored tribe of the Achaeans,

Nine times I'm on the ship

fast with brave

squad

I went against foreign people -

and we were lucky;

I took the best from the spoils,

and by lot also

I got a lot for my share;

increasing your wealth,

I have become powerful and respectable...

In another place, Odysseus confesses to King Alcinous that when he, who is rumored to be an inventor of tricks, sailed to the city of the Ciconians, Ismar, he, the king of Ithaca, together with his fellow bandits, behaved not at all as a peacemaker, but as a murderer and the robber:

Ismaru: we destroyed the city,

All the inhabitants were exterminated.

Saving wives and all sorts of things

having plundered a lot of treasures,

We began to divide the spoils so that

everyone could take their part.

Thus, the reader should not be mistaken either about Odysseus or about beautiful Greece, the talents and courage of whose sons we will quite rightly admire more than once. Even in the most heroic part of its history, Greece was in fact nothing more than “an ideal place for robbery.” The geographer Strabo also wrote about the undeniable propensity for piracy of the inhabitants of these places, noting their bloodthirstiness. The hunt for slaves gave rise to the profession of andrapodists - “slave makers.” The poet Lucian called the first such andrapodist Zeus himself, who kidnapped the handsome Ganymede. The historian A. Vallon noted the main sources of wealth of ancient civilizations: “The richest source that supplied slaves was always the primary source of slavery: war and maritime robbery. The Trojan War and the most ancient wars of the Greeks along the Asian and Thracian coasts gave them numerous captives... The war replenished the ranks of slaves, but with certain interruptions; sea ​​robbery contributed to this more constantly and continuously. This custom, which in Greece preceded trade and accompanied the first attempts at navigation, did not cease even when intercourse between nations became more regular and civilization more widespread; The need for slaves, which became more widespread, stimulated pirate activity with the lure of higher profits. How easy it was for this region, surrounded by the sea, and the shores, accessible almost everywhere, and the islands scattered throughout the sea! The horror that the North African barbarians (Berbers) recently spread along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea thanks to their rapid and unexpected landings reigned everywhere in Greece.” Life back then was simply terrible. This is at least indicated by the custom of killing all strangers arriving from the sea. Among the “civilized” Greeks, Phoenicians, Cretans, Egyptians, Jews, and Assyrians, the rule of the Night of Bartholomew was in effect: kill everyone, God will recognize his own. The gods, apparently, are indifferent to the fate of people.

Odysseus with the sorceress Kirka

Hercules and the Argonauts (with spears, clubs, shields)

Regrettably, in Athens itself, this citadel of ancient democracy, open slavery flourished. Athens, which, according to the requirements of the law, supposedly had to hunt down the kidnappers of free people (having passed a law that punished caught Andrapodist kidnappers with death), in fact, whenever they could not be caught by the hand, they secretly patronize them. It was even forbidden to offend them under penalty of exclusion from citizenship. The reason for such patronage is simple and understandable. The state and individual citizens derived considerable benefits from the slave trade and its mediation. After all, this trade was subject to special taxes, and Athens was precisely one of the main places of such trade. Lucian in “The Auction of Souls,” describing the life of Aesop, draws many examples from the practice of the slave trade in Rome. But exactly the same order reigned in Greece, which, of course, was not and could not be any exception.

Ruins of Corinth

Speaking about this “flawed, restless and fragile” Mycenaean civilization, which lasted no more than 400 years in continental Greece and the Peloponnese, 200 years on the islands and only a few years in the distant colonies of Egypt, Asia Minor and Italy, P. Faure in in his magnificent book “Greece during the Trojan War”, he tried to establish what once destroyed the small kingdoms and fortified cities. He quite decisively rejects the idea of ​​external invasion and destruction. The same mysterious “peoples of the sea” that many sources mention (doing this, however, in a very vague, vague way) could hardly have become the root cause of the total catastrophe of the Mycenaean cities. After all, their independent rulers created powerful fortresses, had a strong army, excellent weapons for those centuries, and strong political and economic structures. Then what caused the deadly threat that swept away between 1250 and 1200 BC. these prosperous and wealthy centers?

Heroes of the Trojan War

It must be said that Faure himself convincingly answered the question posed: “And yet, in order to try to explain the catastrophe that destroyed so many “well-cut” palaces and beautifully fortified strongholds between 1250 and 1200, several reasons must be simultaneously taken into account or put together. The most common mechanism of disintegration could be the following: small monarchies flourished and strengthened so much thanks to agriculture, cattle breeding and the development of crafts that they aroused the hatred of subject peoples and less fortunate neighbors.

The power of the reigning house could be weakened by several misfortunes at once: shortages, shipwrecks, illness, rivalry, lack of mutual understanding, old age of the ruler. All this shocked society from top to bottom. A whole swarm of small feudal lords or local leaders rebelled, refused to pay taxes and submit to bureaucratic control, and, on occasion, did not disdain piracy and robbery. The bravest conspired among themselves and went to take the palaces, where, as everyone knew, there were full of treasures, and the rightful owner, like Odysseus or Achilles, went to Troas to seek luck. Stories of tragic poets about Oedipus, who took possession of the city of Cadmus, or about Theseus, who reigned in Athens and threw the old man Aegeus from the top of the acropolis, about the Seven against Thebes, about the bloody “showdowns” of Atreus, Thyestes and their heirs, about the flight of Alcmaeon, the last king of Pylos, - this whole terrible series of riots and fights over inheritance seems to generally reflect the everyday reality of the second half of the 13th century BC. And, if we look into the history of Greece in the 13th century AD, we will see a completely similar picture, and in the same cities - Thebes, Athens, Corinth, Argos, Nauplia or Modon. Byzantium was destroyed much more by internal squabbles than by attacks from external enemies.” The French historian reasonably believes that there is a high probability that the Greeks fell victim to the onslaught of neighbors or fellow citizens, that is, civil wars rather than external wars.

Although external wars undoubtedly played a role... Just as the aging “fathers of the nation” in the Soviet Union tried to find answers to acute social problems within the country in external expansion, it is possible that the leaders of the Greeks, who gathered on a campaign against Troy, tried to remove a heavy burden of social burdens from part of his people, inviting them to obtain gold, wealth and glory in foreign lands by robbery. Faure writes about the “giant mass of the poor” who had the most meager income. All these carpenters, scribes, blacksmiths, saddlers, weavers and shipwrights, creating material wealth, building palaces and fortifications, themselves barely made ends meet. Naturally, they all looked at him with deep hatred. luxurious palaces tsars, oligarchs, war barons, generals, just like three thousand years later, the poor, often completely powerless workers of Russia look at the fabulous palaces of the new “feudal lords”.

Will a couple of millennia really pass and from the power of these kingdoms, like from the possessions of King Agamemnon in Mycenae or Priam’s Troy, all that will remain is a pile of stones and a domed tomb, where the new Schliemann will look for answers to the secrets of the history of the 20th-21st centuries? And even if a new Homer is born, will he want to describe our life?!

This text is an introductory fragment.