Hidden within rolling mountainsides, the treasury of atreus or tomb of agamemnon is an impressive tholos tomb located on the panagitsa hill in mycenae, greece. Zoomedin view of the treasury of atreus as seen from mycenae. Jul 12, 2014 what the marbled entrance to the treasury of atrues aka tomb of agamemnon may have looked like in the th century bc tomb of clytemnestra much the same size as treasury of atreus see previous blog for its scale triangular hole above the entrance lintel is a relieving triangle to take the weight of the the roof. She gave it to thyestes, her lover and atreus brother, who then convinced atreus to agree that whoever had the lamb should be king.
Thyestes replaced atreus as king and drove him into exile. The treasury of atreus is one of the most important monuments of the bronze age in greece and is universally recognized as the supreme example of mycenaean architecture. Brian wildemans art history lab egypt treasury of atreus. The site of socalled treasury of atreus is about 300 metres away from the mycenae acropolis main site, and has its own the entrance and car park. Visit citadel and treasury of atreus on your trip to. Atreus and thyestes are definitely not the only brothers to ever go head to head in mythology.
This tholos tomb treasury of atreus or tomb of agamemnon is the largest and the best preserved of the nine tholos thomb found in mycaenae. Treasury of atreus archaeological site, mycenae, greece. One day, atreus promised to sacrifice the best lamb in his flock to the goddess artemis. What the marbled entrance to the treasury of atrues aka tomb of agamemnon may have looked like in the th century bc tomb of clytemnestra much the same size as treasury of atreus see previous blog for its scale triangular hole above the entrance lintel is a relieving triangle to take the weight of the the roof. Treasury of atreus or tomb of agamemnon despite the fact it. The treasury of atreus lion gate ancient greece browse this content a beginners guide browse this content ancient greece, an introduction introduction to ancient greek art introduction to ancient greek architecture greek architectural orders olympic games contrapposto explained pottery browse this content greek vasepainting, an introduction.
Citadel and treasury of atreus, mycenae tripadvisor. Our mission is to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education. Another example from greek myth is polynices and eteocles, the sons of oedipus, who kill each other in an argument over the throne of thebes. Book your tickets online for citadel and treasury of atreus, mycenae. Art history lab mycenaean treasury of atreus brian wildeman treasury of atreas ca 1250 bce. Mar 17, 2014 the book s primary purpose is to bring back to life the thoughts of these pioneers on mycenae. It is also the finest of all the many beehive or tholos tombs which are such a striking feature of mycenaean culture.
Treasury of atreus, mycenae illustration ancient history. I have that pic of agamemnon on a history book from grade school. Upon searching his flock, however, atreus discovered a golden lamb which he gave to his wife, aerope, to hide from the goddess. The treasury of atreus or tomb of agamemnon is a large tholos or beehive tomb on panagitsa hill at mycenae, greece, constructed during the bronze age around 1250 bc. The treasury of atreus or tomb of agamemnon is a large tholos tomb on the panagitsa hill at mycenae, greece, constructed during the bronze age around 1250 bc. Ground plan and sections of the treasury of atreus, mycenae. The gods were so angered at this blasphemy that they condemned tantalus to. By this point, atreus has figured out that his wife mustve been up to some hankypanky with his brother, and he starts to plot some serious revenge. The house of atreus original, play, broadway opened in new york city dec 17, 1968 and played through jan 5, 1969. The treasury of atreus, also known as the tomb of agamemnon, is the largest and the best preserved of the nine tholos found in mycenae. Treasury of atreus the famous king of mycenae strolling greece. There is, in a hill, an enormous tomb which is sometimes known as the treasury of atreus. The treasury of atreus, or tomb of agamemnon, is the.
The treasury of atreus or tomb of agamemnon is a large tholos or beehive tomb on panagitsa. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The new national geographic treasury of greek mythology offers timeless stories of greek myths in a beautiful new volume. Treasury of atreus, also called tomb of agamemnon, a beehive, or tholos, tomb built about 50 to 1250 bc at mycenae, greece. Lets take a stroll down the family history to see why.
Atreus, in greek legend, the son of pelops of mycenae and his wife, hippodamia. Collectively, his descendants are known as atreidai or atreidae atreus and his twin brother thyestes were. See all 39 citadel and treasury of atreus tours on tripadvisor. Atreus and thyestes dont put in a personal appearance in the many plays about their famous descendants agamemnon, menelaus, aegisthus, orestes, iphigenia, and electra, the most famous of these probably being aeschyluss oresteia trilogy, sophocles electra, and euripides iphigenia at aulis. How were the elite buried at mycenae in the late bronze age. Atreus, as the possessor of a goldenfleeced ram, claimed the throne. The side walls are cut out of the rock and lined with ashlar. The treasury of atreus video mycenaean khan academy. The house of atreus by aeschylus author visit amazons aeschylus page. Later that afternoon, as he went walking among his sheep, atreus found a lamb with a golden fleece. We believe that the brilliant histories of art belong to everyone, no matter their background. The location of the treasury of atreus researchgate. Download image of treasury of atreus at mykenae, cross section.
Dromos of the treasury of atreus wikimedia commons. The tholos is approached along a dromos or pathway about 20 feet wide and 118 feet long. A person is standing beside the entrance and illustrates the massive size of the stones used to build the tholos tomb. This surviving architectural structure of the mycenaean civilization is a pointed dome built up of overhanging i. In the book the odyssey the hero odysseus travels to the mythical realm of. The treasury of atreus also known as the tomb of agamemnon is the. The total length of the south wall is 2216 d and of the north wall 2206 d. The treasury of atreus, or tomb of agamemnon, is the largest. Entrance of the treasury of atreus on the panagitsa hill at mycenae greece, 2017.
The best preserved, mistakenly named the treasury of atreus, is a huge circular chamber built of finely cut rectangular stones. Nov 06, 20 the largest and most recent tholos tomb at mycenae called the treasury of atreus or tomb of agamemnon although it was built at least 200 years earlier is an impressive tholos tomb on the panagitsa hill at mycenae, greece, constructed during the bronze age around 1250 bce. Novmar daily 8am3pm phone 2751076585 prices admission 8 including treasury of atreus and museum web site ministry of culture and sports as you walk uphill to mycenae, you begin to get an idea of why people settled here as long ago as 3000 b. William and harry have a secret stepsister but theres a good reason why shes kept hidden duration. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Treasury of atreus tomb of king agamemnon 1250 bc mycenae, greece the treasury of atreus in mycenae demonstrates the massive, but rather coarse architecture of the bronzeage greeks. Treasury of atreus mycenae, greece great buildings architecture. Beth harris, the treasury of atreus, in smarthistory, december 14, 2015, accessed may 18, 2020. The treasury of atreus also known as the tomb of agamemnon is the largest and most impressive of the nine tholos tombs at mycenae. So, the average in the middle axis is 2211 d, or 8. Pretending like he wants to be friends again, atreus invites thyestes back to mycenae for a banquet. The lintel stone above the doorway weighs 120 tons, with approximate dimensions 8. The treasury of atreus was constructed during the bronze age around.
Tantalus was a cannibal who ate his own son, pelops. The bronze age greek mainland people that traded as far away as italy and north africa. This was a tomb, which when discovered was told to be the tomb of king atreus, the father of agamemnon and menelaus. Although many books focus on the fascinating story of heinrich schliemann, little has been written on mycenae before his excavations. Some believe it may have developed from a type of circular tomb found on crete in the third millennium. The treasury of atreus in mycenae demonstrates the massive, but rather coarse architecture of the bronzeage greeks. He was also responsible for revealing mycenae in 1874 and spent most of his career trying to unearth troy and demonstrate the existence of agamemnon. Atreus vowed to sacrifice his best lamb to artemis. At that time, the general consensus concerning the beginning of the greek world was the classical civilisation of the fifth century bc. Treasury of atreus historical facts and pictures built around 1250 bc, the treasury of atreus, also known as the tomb of agamemnon, is an impressive beehive or tholos tomb, located on the panagitsa hill at mycenae, greece. Roman mythology gives us romulus, who whacks his brother remus in an argument over where to build rome. Smarthistorys free, awardwinning digital content unlocks the expertise.
Consider how societies have changed through history as you wander through treasury of atreus. The tomb stands by itself, located well away from the other royal tholos tombs, which are grouped together beside the citadel. It looks at the englishspeaking pioneers who visited the citadel at mycenae before schliemann, providing additional biographic references in the footnotes and bibliography and associated sources. The treasury of atreus, the largest and most impressive of the nine tholos tombs found at mycenae, stands by itself at the southern edge of a bowl in the east slope of the panagia ridge. There are 21 stones on the south wall of the dromos and 17 on the north first row on the ground. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. The diameter of the tomb is almost 50 feet 15 metres. It is also a reflection on dating theories of the site during the nineteenth century. The stone lintel above the doorway weighs 120 tons, with approximate dimensions 8. It was constructed during the bronze age, around 1250 bc.
Its in argosmykines, so if you are flying into athens, the countrys capital, youll have an adventure of 55 miles 89 kilometers ahead of you. Treasury of atreus at mykenae, cross section picryl public. Brought to life with lyrical text by awardwinning author donna jo napoli and stunning artwork by awardwinning illustrator christina balit, the tales of gods and goddesses such as zeus, aphrodite, apollo, and athena and. Some were buried in chambers cut into the side of a hill. Treasury of atreus at mykenae, cross section picryl.
Certainly he should have sacrificed that one to artemis, but he didnt want to sacrifice such a beautiful thing, so he killed the. The story of his familythe house of atreusis virtually unrivaled in antiquity for complexity and corruption. Stunning views winding through gorgeous mountain landscapes make a visit to this splendid monument of mycenaean architecture a wonderful day trip from athens. Why did the greeks think the house of atreus was cursed. Treasury of atreus, cyclopean wall, and lion gate mycenae. Oct 30, 2016 the treasury of atreus, also known as the tomb of agamemnon, is the largest and the best preserved of the nine tholos found in mycenae. Treasury of atreus or tomb of agamemnon despite the fact. We recommend booking citadel and treasury of atreus tours ahead of time to secure your spot. Pantheon the first thing you would have seen upon arriving at mycenae was the. The university of alaska fairbanks is an aaeo employer and educational institution and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual. The portal to texas history a gateway to rare, historical, and primary source materials from or. Search the history of over 424 billion web pages on the internet. The largest and most recent tholos tomb at mycenae called the treasury of atreus or tomb of agamemnon although it was built at least 200 years earlier is an impressive tholos tomb on the panagitsa hill at mycenae, greece, constructed during the bronze age around 1250 bce.
The tholos itself was designed to merge with the slope of the hill, and grass naturally camouflaged it although the peak of the mound rose above the top of the hill. Minoan beehive tombs have been found as well, and im not sure if it is known which culture invented them. Then theres osiris, one of the key gods in egyptian. Mar 30, 2015 william and harry have a secret stepsister but theres a good reason why shes kept hidden duration. Just down the hill from mycenae the great citadel of the mycenaeans. The treasury of atreus, also known as the tomb of agamemnon, the legendary king of mycenae, lies in a walking distance from the ancient site and is one of the most famous buildings of mycenae. Atreus was the elder brother of thyestes and was the king of mycenae. Featured texts all books all texts latest this just in smithsonian libraries fedlink us genealogy lincoln collection.