Page:History of Art in Primitive Greece - Mycenian Art Vol 1.djvu/326

 MvCENi^. 301 and relief of the ground. The enclosing wall began from the point where the escarps of the Chavos cease ; it ran along the edge of the hill, a trifle above the middle of its height, its line being broken by irregular resaults and many re-entering angles. The fortifications enclose an area of far greater extent than either that of the Trojan, Tirynthian, or Athenian acropoles.^ Assuming the Mycenae circuit to be level, instead of barrel- shaped as it is, it would measure about 30,000 square metres ; whilst with the slopes the figure would be higher still. Accord- ingly, the Mycenae acropolis is by far the most spacious of any known at that remote period, and its stupendous fortifications correspond with the tales which tradition had retained of the wealth and greatness of its ancient masters (Fig. 91). The citadel wall has been preserved almost along its whole circuit, with the exception of a piece towards the south-west, over the vertical escarps of the Chavos ravine, where its line was broken by a landslip ; at this point some few blocks, which crop up here and there, alone enable us to follow its direction. Elsewhere it preserves, with varying aspect, a height averag- ing from four to ten metres. The style of building exhibited here falls under three heads : ( i ) masonry which closely resembles that of the walls of Tiryns, consisting of unsquared or very imperfectly squared blocks, but of smaller dimensions throughout. Contact between the single units being partial, they leave gaps which are filled out with smaller stones shoved in between them (Fig. 92). Here and there the presence of blocks dressed fair on all their faces betrays a later period, so that on the whole the walls at Mycenae have a less colossal appearance than those at Tiryns. This, however, apparently the oldest or Cyclopaean style, forms the greater part of the circuit, and is in strong con- trast with the second system of masonry, which is seen in the bastions flanking the gateways and the passages leading to them, as well as the redans, or maybe tower, on the south front, where the lining slabs are rectangular in shape, and set out in regular courses with vertical joints (Fig. 93). (3) Polygonal masonry is found south of the Lions Gate (Fig. 90, l), farther on in the same direction, and at the north-east of the circuit. The blocks are cut with even greater care than in the second system, and ^ Measured horizontally, the area of the acropolis at Tiryns is cir, 17,000 square metres.