TRANSACTIONS Of THE SECTIONS. Ill) 



On the District <>f Mycena and its early Occupants. 

 By Dr. J. S. Phene, F.S.A. 



It was explained in this paper that the usual custom adopted by travellers and 

 historians of describing ancient towns, as those of Mycenaj, Argos, Nauplia, &c, 

 by the walls and other features peculiar to each, was not sufficiently comprehen- 

 sive to convey an idea of the condition of society and military power in ancient 

 times. They were seldom or never referred to by recent historians as parts of a 

 kingdom, but rather as separate kingdoms ; and their relationship to each other, 

 except in cases of alliance or hostility, was very seldom hinted at. This was a 

 partial way of viewing the matter, and conveyed but a small knowledge of those 

 ancient times to which the Greek poets, as Homer, ^Eschylus, and others, referred. 

 These historians, if faithfully examined, woidd be found to deal with the question 

 on a broader base, and one more faithful to facts. Thus Agamemnon was King 

 of Argos as well as Mycenrc, and his kingdom would be found to have extended 

 not only over those cities, but also to a great part of Corinth, while Menelaus, his 

 brother, governed a large portion of the territory of the Peloponnesus. The object 

 of drawing attention to these points was to account for the number of minor Cyclo- 

 pean works which are to be found on a careful inspection around the Argolic dis- 

 trict, and which can only be accounted for by supposing they were used as out- 

 works or garrison towns by the House of Atreus and by earlier sovereigns. Too 

 small in themselves to be independent fortresses, they prove that even the larger 

 ones were not independent. Thus military organization and governmental rule 

 were shown to have existed among a people often referred to as barbarous, whose 

 works and actions could only be explained by the ancients by referring them to 

 the mythical Cyclops. The particular features of some of these outworks are very 

 peculiar. The pyramid was a favourite form of those most remote from the 

 centre of government. These pyramids Dr. PheniS found east and west of the 

 Argolic plain, at the extreme boundary of the Parthenium mountain, and as far 

 almost as Epidaurus ; while between them and the great fortresses, bearing classic 

 names, were many unnamed and unnoticed Cyclopean structures of considerably 

 larger dimensions than the pyramids, yet bearing no comparison with the larger 

 cities. These garrison forts evidently guarded the passes to the great Argolic 

 plain. The discoveries made by Dr. Schliemann would be soon under their notice 

 in his forthcoming work ; he should therefore forbear to touch upon them, as it 

 was ground that that great investigator was exclusively entitled to tread first, 

 whoever might subsequently support his theories or enter the lists with him anta- 

 gonistically. But having seen a very large portion of the articles themselves at 

 Athens, having carefully examined the field of the operations at Mycenns, and 

 made a close comparison between Dr. Schliemann 's labours at that place and his 

 labours at Troy, he might, at least, add his testimony to that of others as to the 

 great historical value and interest of the find and the enormous age of the treasure, 

 exhibited more prominently in the conditions of the articles of silver. Dr. Phene 

 inclines to the belief that there is a great deal yet to be learnt of the Cyclopean cities 

 of Greece, Asia Minor, and Italy. It was remarkable that in the Trojan district 

 the Cyclopean city of Chigri, which is of great size and high antiquity, has attracted 

 little notice in ancient or modern times, although many points about it answer 

 the description of the Trojan city. Visiting the island of Samothrace, he made the 

 ascent of the mountain, and was, he believed, the only Englishman, at least of 

 modern times, who had accomplished it. There he found a Cyclopean city larger 

 than any he had seen on the mainland of Greece. The position ot this large city, 

 < if which we had neither record nor history, in an island most difficult of access, and 

 having no harbour or anchorage, awoke questions of thrilling interest, especially as 

 it was on the island on which the darkest rites of mystery, those of the Cabin, were 

 practised. With our present limited knowledge it is difficult to identify the 

 people who constructed these works; but that they came from the mainland vest- 

 ward into Greece is generally held. If this hypothesis be sound, Samothrace was 

 probably occupied before the Peloponnesus, and must be much older than either 

 firyns or Mycense. 



