Page:History of Art in Primitive Greece - Mycenian Art Vol 1.djvu/431

 404 Primitive Greece : Mvcenian Art. ofif the grave. The explorers also think they have found vestiges of several sepultures of the same age and style in the vicinity of Vari, where Mycenian vases have been exhumed and removed to "Athens. As to the graves themselves, their explorer, Ephor Philios, in his hurried visit, seems to have been satisfied with ascertaining in a general way that the chambers are approached by long passages cut in the virgin rock.^ We cannot be surprised that the earliest culture of Greece should have left its mark in this part of Attica ; for we must remember what tradition recounted in regard to colonists said to have come from Asia Minor across the islands of the Archi- pelago, who, under the name of Leleges, Carians, lonians, or what you will, settled here in remote antiquity. The tombs we have met up to the present hour on Attic soil are second-class, and belonged to petty local chiefs not over- burdened with worldly goods, nor do we see here, on every beetling crag, walls that can in any way be called Cyclopa^an. If during the primitive period there were in Attica princes wealthy and influential enough to build them fastnesses resembling the citadels of Argolis, they will be found at Athens, and there only. The men who at that time wielded the sceptre over the plain watered by the Ilissus and Cephisus were domiciled on the rock which was fated to serve as pedestal to numerous architectonic master-pieces, and which without any prefix is called the Acro- polis. Its natural advantages were precisely similar to those offered by the citadels of Troy and Tiryns. The distance from the foot of the hill to Phalerus is not five kilometres ; far enough to feel safe against hostile attempts from the sea and watch the enemy's advance ; near enough to enable the populations gathered here to frequent the markets held on the coast by Phoenician traders, who had a factory close by in the island of Salamis. The tribe had, no doubt, many fishermen, for the deep waters of the bay teemed with fish, and salt could be had for the picking ; whilst mariners would contribute to its sustenance and wealth. On the other hand, very little was needed to assure the defence of a mighty block some hundred and fifty-seven metres above the level of the sea, and entirely isolated. To the northward it rules the houses of the modern town from an altitude of nine hundred and eighty-five metres ; whilst the bottom of the ravine on the