Classical Studies 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Improvisation, Dactylic Hexameter, Killing Machine

• School: Western University
• Department: Classical Studies
• Course: Classical Studies 1000
• Professor: Christopher Brown

Document Summary

The citadel of mycenae was built on the top of a hill (like knossos on crete). See image on the slide to see the hilltop and the remains of a defensive wall. Our knowledge of this site is owed to heinrich schliemann who was an amateur archaeologist. He grew up in germany and loved the classics. Schliemann was a wealthy business man and after he retired he used his money to be an archaeologist. He thought there was something at knossos but couldn(cid:495)t convince anyone that there was anything there, evans discovered it later. The only difference is that he wanted conservation of the artifacts. Mycenae seems to have been a major power during the later helladic period. The city is known from homer as the home of agamemnon, leader of the achaean (i. e. greek) forces at troy: the relationship between myth and reality is difficult, the later bronze age shaped myth as we have it.