CLASSICS 1A03 Lecture : Mycaneans
Document Summary
Greeks thought it was impossible that it was built by humans: hypothesized that it was made by cyclopes (giants); cyclopean masonry . Discussed in greek literatue: mythical home to agamemnon, son of atreus, married to clytemnestra. Lion gate and fortification wall built c. 1250 bc: life began centuries before. Post and lintel construction: 5m wide, 20 tons. Monumental scale: designed to impress/awe; welcoming/foreboding: larger than it logically needs to be. Lions in heraldic pose (heads in wood) = engage viewer: heads are lost. Must have been made w/ a different material: inviting or foreboding, 2 lions on a column. Architectural symbolism: lions guarding the column: lions increase monumental element. They feared that heavy blocks at the front/on top of the lintel would cause it to crack. Relieving triangle; gap avoids the weight of the blocks. Megaron the big room : heart of the palace, office for ruler, business/administrative stuff, close to the ruler.