Where History and Myth blend

Where History and Myth blend

Greece
Peloponese
Mycenean civilization

The Mycenean civilization flourished on the Peloponesian territory of South Greece for nearly thousand years (2000-1100 BC) as a continuation of earlier glorious ones as the Cycladian(3500-2000 BC) and Minoan in Creta(5000-1300 BC), till it was itself perished because of an earthquake or the Dorian invasion that followed around 1000 BC.
The Mycenian period remained also important because, on top of everything else,created the historical setting in which historical reality and tales all merged and ingeniously combined by the ancient poets, historians and musicians to produce masterpieces greatly admired by later generations among them Iliad, Odyssey, Troyan Epic Cycle and rest of Greek ancient drama pieces. A great part of ancient greek mythology, not to mention Troyan war only, is spinned with happenings of the Mycenean era and inspired other ancient Greek politicians of the Classical, Macedonian and Hellenistic era.
Heinrich Schlieman was a pioneer in the study of Early Aegean civilization and his excavations proved that Troyan war was not only a charming fairy tale but it was also live history and full of the reality of a Greek colonial expansion towards the rich East. His excavations and the so many that followed later by Greek archeologists, revealed all the grandeur and wealth of the Mycenean territory with the palaces, houses, utensils, gold jewelry and royal tombs which was lucky to find them unsecrated full of gold and silver.
Agamemnon, the glorious king and leader of the Greek army in the Troyan war, his satanic wife Klytemnestra, legendary Iphigenia, Electra, Orestes, all tragic figures of Troyan war and postwar frustrating happenings that created the setting of the Classic ancient Greek Drama, all were there present among the colossal ruins of the excavated Mycenean territory.

In the photo, the entrance to the Mycenean state, the legendary Gate of Lions as it stays till today, 2500 years after.....