830 
MR. F. C. PENROSE ON THE RESULTS OF AN EXAMINATION 
Mycenae, Lat. 37° 43' 20 ". 
Oiientation angle 
of assumed 
easrern doorway. 
Stellar elements. 
Solar elements. 
263° 19' 40" 
A 
Amplitude. 
+ 6° 40' 20" 
+ 
0 
0 
K. 
0 
B 
Corresponding altitude . . 
8° 
7° 22' 
C 
Declination. 
-1- 10° 8' 44" 
+ 9°-45' 51" 
U 
Hour angle. 
5I1 5Qm .25s 
711 2 S“ 49 = 
E 
Depression of Sun .... 
11 ° 
F 
R.A. 
23'‘ 53“ 4o» 
111 32m 75 
G 
Approximate date .... 
B.C. 
540 
u Arietis rising 
The Cabeirion temple, near Thebes, is surrounded by hills, except towards the 
north. Of the other three sides, the eastern is least obstructed, so that the Sun 
couid enter the temple by an eastern door about half-an-hour after sunrise. In this 
direction, however, I can find no suitable star which could be combined with the Sun 
heliacally at any permissible epoch—and tliis, whether it be sought at right angles to 
the axis of the temple, or in the direction of the cross wall which has been mentioned. 
But a time-warning star, northwards on the true axis of the temple, can be found, 
and a very significant one it is, namely, y Draconis. This star seems to have been a 
favourite at the Egyptian Thebes—as well as other places in that country—as has 
been shown by Mr. Lockyer, in ‘Nature,’ for February 18, 1892, and in the 
‘Nineteenth Century,’ No. 185, p. 46. It is well-known that the Boeotian Thebans 
ulled their city “ The City of the Dragon,” claiming their descent from the fabled 
tyragon’s teetli sown by their founder. In this temple, therefore, we have astronomic 
confirmation of the tradition that Cadmus introduced the worship of the Egyptian as 
well as that of the Phoenician deities. 
As y Draconis is only a second magnitude star, it is more likely to have been used 
as a time-warner, than for such purposes as the more brilliant stars may be supposed 
to have been used at dead of night for producing a mysterious gloAv by reflection from 
polished surfaces according to the hint given by Herodotus when speaking of a temple 
at Tyre “ Kal eV avT^ rjcrav crri^Xat 8 ud, 17 [xep y^pvcrov airetfiOov -q 8 e crfiapaySov \i()ov, 
XdpTTovToq ra? vvKTa<; /xeyado?.” But, although this might have succeeded with the 
light from Sirius, Arcturus, or Capella, y Draconis is more likely to have waited on 
the Sun as a time-warner. If so, we may base our calculations on its first appear¬ 
ance at the western limit of the north opening, thus anticipating the actual orientation 
angle by about two degrees. This would take place shortly after the lower transit of 
* ‘ Hekod.,’ Book II., p. 44. 
