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Genii tomb

Tombs of Mycenae: the Forgotten Five

July 12, 2014 / 1 Comment 

VISITORS TO MYCENAE will alway to! o"" at t#e T$eau$y o" At$eu %a&a t#e tom' o"

A(amemnon ) ee !$e*iou 'lo(+ to 'e awe 'y it i-e an ma(ni"i.en.e No$ will t#ey 'e

a'le to mi t#e int$i(ue o" t#e tom' o" Clytemnet$a an Ae(it#u an t#e ion Tom' ) till

im!$ei*e e*en i" $emainin( le $o'ut in .ont$u.tion t#an At$eu #at t#ey all #a*e in

.ommon i t#ei$ a..ei'ility an *ii'ility %an .loene wit# $e(a$ to t#e lat t#$ee+ T#ei$

name 'ea$ no $elation to w#om may #a*e 'een 'u$ie t#e$e ) t#ey a$e ut 3la'el

.on*eniently .oin.iin( wit# myt#i.al .#a$a.te$ "$om 5ome$ 6t# .entu$y 7C !oem t#e

 Iliad  an t#e Odyssey %At$eu on, A(amemnon, le t#e "o$.e a(aint T$oy8 Clytemnet$a

wa #i un"ait#"ul wi"e w#o mu$e$e #im on #i $etu$n "$om T$oy8 Ae(it#u wa #e$ lo*e$+T#e ion Tom' i o name im!ly 'e.aue it nea$ t#e ion 9ate %ee !$e*iou 'lo(+

What the marbled entrance to the Treasury of Atrues (aka Tomb of Agamemnon) may have

looked like in the 13th century B 

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Tomb of lytemnestra (much the same si!e as Treasury of Atreus " see #revious blog for its

 scale) " triangular hole above the entrance lintel is a relieving triangle to take the $eight of 

the the roof

#at .oa.# en.um'e$e mem'e$ o" t#e !u'li. o not et t#ei$ eye u!on a$e t#e a .ouin

o" At$eu an Co ) t#e lonely t#olo tom' lum'e$in( o*e$ t#e #ill o" t#e :ana(ia $i(e,

namely t#e Cy.lo!ean, E!ano :#ou$no, ;ato :#ou$no, :ana(ia an 9enii %the %orgotten

 %ive+ In t#ei$ own $i(#t t#ey 'ea$ ilent witne to t#e e*elo!ment o" "une$a$y a$.#ite.tu$e

o" t#e 7$on-e A(e o" 9$ee.e an ee$*e mo$e attention Amittely le im!$ei*e in tatue

to t#e ot#e$ "ou$ 'ut till no le im!o$tant "o$ a$.#aeolo(y

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Tomb of Aegisthus (smaller than lytemnestra) " also $ith small relieving triangle above

entrance lintel 

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 &ion Tomb

T#e i-e o" t#ee "i*e t#oloi a$e *e$y imila$ wit# t#ei$ tom' 'ae *a$yin( 'etween <=10

met$e in iamete$ %t#e Cy.lo!ean 'ein( t#e mallet, E!ano :#ou$no t#e la$(e$ ) .om!a$in(

wit# At$eu 'ae iamete$ o" 14>0 m+ an t#ei$ .ale .an 'e een "$om t#e "i(u$e in t#e

 !i.tu$e T#ey a$e alo in *a$yin( tate o" i$e!ai$ ) Cy.lo!ean 'ein( t#e wo$e "o$ wea$

w#e$ea 9enii i $eaona'ly .om!lete in.luin( it $oo" %it alo #a t#$ee !it ($a*e ) aly

em!ty, o no .lue t#e$e+

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ylo#ean Tomb " definitely seen better days

5ein$i.# S.#liemann an #i wi"e, So!#ie, e?.a*ate t#e T$eau$y o" At$eu an Tom' o"Clytemnet$a in 16<@ an C#$ito Tounta e?.a*ate t#e ot#e$ u$in( t#e 160 %#e

i.o*e$e Ae(it#u at t#i time 'ut it wa not e?.a*ate until 122+ T#e 7$iti#

a$.#aeolo(it, Alan a.e, i*ie all t#e nine tom' into t#$ee ($ou! "o$ atin( an

.#a$a.te$i-e t#em a..o$in(lyB

'rou# 1 %1>10=14@0 7C+B Cy.lo!ean, E!ano :#ou$no, Ae(it#u

'rou#  %14@0=1400 7C+B :ana(ia, ;ato :#ou$no, ion

'rou# 3 %1400=100+B 9enii, At$eu, Clytemnet$a

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 #ano *hournos Tomb

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 +ato *hournos Tomb

oo&in( at t#e ite toay it mi(#t 'e .onie$e t#at ($ou!in( into t#$ee i too limitin( Sin.e

a.e wo$&, a $elie*in( t$ian(le #a .ome to li(#t on t#e Ae(it#u tom' !uttin( it into a

.ate(o$y o" it own It i not enti$ely .lea$ w#at may #a*e 'een ituate a'o*e t#e lintel o"

t#e ot#e$ two ea$lie$ tom' a t#e $oo" #a*e not u$*i*e 9enii i #a$ly in t#e ame

.ate(o$y o" ($aneu$ a At$eu an Clytemnet$a yet it a!!ea$ in t#e ame ($ou!in( %it i o"

imila$ 'ut le .om!le? .ont$u.tion+ T#e Tom' o" Clytemnet$a may #a*e 'een 'uilt a"te$

At$eu ue to t#e "a.t t#at it may 'e li(#tly mo$e te.#ni.ally a*an.e wit# it $ow o"

.u$*e tone .ontinuin( $oun t#e t$u.tu$e at t#e ame le*el a t#e lintel %"o$min( a mo$e

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oli 'ae "o$ t#e $oo" t$u.tu$e+ It may, o" .ou$e, #a*e 'een .ont$u.te "o$ t#e Dueen o" t#e

o..u!ant o" t#e At$eu tom'

 *anagia Tomb

All nine tom' #a 'een $o''e in antiDuity ma&in( atin( an inte$!$etation i""i.ult Only

in t#e $omo o" t#e Tom' o" Clytemnet$a wa a woman ($a*e "oun 'y Tounta, alon(

wit# a..om!anyin( a$te"a.t %two mi$$o$, o$nament an 'ea+ 'ut it #el!e little in

$e*ealin( t#e e.$et o" t#e inne$ omain 5owe*e$, t#e$e i till ou't a to t#e a.tual atin(

o" At$eu an Clytemnet$a ) i" t#e late$ atin( o" t#e mi=to=late 1t# .entu$y 7C %5 III7+

i .o$$e.t, t#en neit#e$ may #a*e e*e$ 'een o..u!ie, t#ei$ intene o..u!ant #a*in( "le

"ollowin( t#e et$u.tion o" t#e .ity

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'enii Tomb

 Ne?t time, o$ i"/w#en, you !lan a *iit to My.enae, ta&e alon( ome wal&in( 'oot an 3#ea

wet youn( man ) well, wetwa$ one an all, o*e$ t#e :ana(ia $i(e %ee !lan 'elow+ an

"ollow t#e !at# "$om w#i.# t#e Cy.lo!ean, E!ano :#ou$no an 9enii a$e *ii'le 9enii

nee a 'it o" t$a.&in( in "$om t#e !at# 'ut !e$e*e$an.e will "in it i&ewie wit# t#e

:ana(ia tom' ) t#e mot i""i.ult to "in ) $o! own "$om t#e :ana(ia .#u$.#, 'ut 'e .a$e"ul

not to lite$ally $o! into t#e t#olo itel" %a I nea$ly i+ a it #a no $oo" %"o$(et #ealt# ana"etyF+

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 *lan of tomb as at ,ycenae (from Wace- 1./.)0 1 yclo#ean- #ano *hournos- 3

 Aegisthus- / *anagia- 2 +ato *hournos- &ion- 4 'enii- 5 Atreus- . lytemnestra