Mycenae today is a small village of about 450 inhabitants. It is located in the NE of the Argolis plain. Until 1928 the village was called Harvati. Since then it took its ancient name again. The current inhabitants of the village cultivate the land of their ancestors, welcome and provide services to the thousands of tourists who visit daily the area, which is one of the most important archeological sites, world famous. The history of the place is of course connected with the ancient Mycenae. Where the heart of the first important Greek land culture, the Mycenaean, beat.
How to get there
It is about 150 km from Athens. Following the national road Athens-Tripoli you will meet the relevant signage to Argos - Nafplio and just before you reach Nafplio, follow the signage to Mycenae. In addition, there are KTEL routes from Athens (210.51.34.588).
Glances at the past
The hill of Mycenae has been inhabited since 2,500 BC, but the brightest period of its history and prosperity coincides with the Late Bronze Age from 1600 to 1110 BC, when the Mycenaean civilization flourished. According to legend, the settler of Mycenae was Perseus, son of Zeus and Danae, who led the first royal dynasty of Mycenae. The Pelopid dynasty followed with Atreus as its first ruler, whose son and successor was Agamemnon, the "king of men" who led all the Greeks in the war against Troy. The location of the Mycenaean citadel, which was naturally and artificially well fortified, was privileged and strategic. Thanks to this privileged position the inhabitants had under their control and regulated trade with southern Greece, Central Asia, Cyprus and Egypt. This resulted in the rulers of Mycenae gaining great wealth and power. Mycenae was built by the mythical Cyclops. The cyclopean walls of Mycenae that we see today were created in three phases. In 1350 BC. about the first walls were built enclosing only the highest point of the hill. Around 1250 BC. the Lions' Gate was built and the walls expanded considerably. The last expansion of the walls took place at the northeastern end of Mycenae in 1200 BC. In fact, they included in the walls the underground water source that supplied water to the citadel. With these extensions the great citadel was created with a very smart defense system. Thus, the Mycenaeans created an important road network and developed trade. In the middle of the 14th BC. ai. will reach their maximum acme. The decline reached the 11th c. BC, but Mycenae was not completely abandoned. The destruction of the Hittite state, which was the only carriers of the technical processing of iron since the 17th century, and the loss of the Egyptian markets began to shake Mycenae. This catastrophe was completed by the Herakleides. The once mighty citadel was transformed into a small settlement. In 468 BC. the Argives destroyed Mycenae and the city was re-created in the 3rd century BC. ai. but she too was soon abandoned. Pausanias in the 2nd AD ai. will find the city deserted and many buildings already half-covered with dirt. The first excavations will take place shortly after the release. In 1841 the archaeologist Pittakis will bring to light again the Lions Gate. The excavations carried out in 1876 by the pioneer of archeology Henry Schliemann confirmed the stories and myths sung by Homer and Virgil, bringing to light much of the glorious history of Mycenaean civilization. From 1886, another great figure of archeology, Christos Tsountas, will continue Schliemann's research.
The archeological site of Mycenae is the main attraction of the area but also one of the most important in Argolida.
Local events
On the 27th of July of Agios Panteleimon, a traditional festival takes place in Mycenae. So you can combine fun with a visit to the great archeological site.
