Archaeological site near Mykines in Argolis, north-eastern Peloponnese, Greece.
In the second millennium BC, Mycenae was one of the major centres of Greek civilization,
A military stronghold which dominated much of southern Greece, Crete, the Cyclades and parts of southwest Anatolia. The period of Greek history from about 1600 BC to about 1100 BC is called Mycenaean in reference to Mycenae.
At its peak in 1350 BC, the citadel and lower town had a population of 30,000 and an area of 32 hectares.
Mycenae, an acropolis site, was built on a hill 900 feet above sea level,
The largest stones including the lintels and gate jambs weighed well over 20 tonnes;
some may have been close to 100 tonnes.
By 1200 BC, the power of Mycenae was declining; finally,
during the 12th century BC, Mycenaean dominance collapsed entirely.
A temple dedicated to Hera was built on the summit of the Mycenaean citadel during the Archaic Period.
A Mycenaean contingent fought at Thermopylae and Plataea during the Persian Wars.
In 468 BC, however, troops from Argos captured Mycenae, expelled the inhabitants and razed the fortifications.
The people of Mycenae had received advice from an oracle
that they should choose a new king from among the Pelopids.
The two contenders were Atreus and his brother, Thyestes.
The latter was chosen at first.
In legend, Atreus had two sons, Agamemnon and Menelaus, the Atreids.
At this moment nature intervened and the sun appeared to reverse direction by setting in the east.
Atreus argued that because the sun had reversed its path, the election of Thyestes should be reversed.
The argument was heeded, and Atreus became king.
His first move was to pursue Thyestes and all his family - that is, his own kin - but Thyestes managed to escape from Mycenae.
The first excavations at Mycenae were carried out by Greek archaeologist Kyriakos Psistakis in 1841
where he found and restored the Lion Gate