What does the Lion Gate symbolize?
The imposing gate of the citadel with the representation of the lionesses was an emblem of the Mycenaean kings and a symbol of their power to both subjects and foreigners.
What do the lions of the Lion Gate at Mycenae symbolize?
In ancient architecture, lions symbolize both protection and divine right. Due to Lion Gate’s near proximity to the Mycenaen palace and a site known as “Grave Circle,” scholars believe that the lionesses were guarding royal grounds. Lion Gate also served as the entrance to the citadel.
Is the Lion Gate in Mycenae?
The Lion Gate is the name given to the main entrance to the citadel of Mycenae after of the sculpture that sits above it. The gate was excavated and restored by the Greek archaeologist Kyriakos Pittakis, the first to excavate Mycenae in 1841.
What is unusual architecturally about the Lion Gate at Mycenae?
Greek Art & Architecture: Mycenae: Lion Gate. The Lion Gate consists of four megalithic blocks of stone arranged around an open space. At the base is a threshold to the sides of which stand two upright stones or jambs. Across the top of the jambs is an enormous lintel believed to weigh around twenty tons.
Why is the Mycenaean structure known as the Lion Gate referred to as Cyclopean masonry?
The blocks were considered too large to be moved by humans and were believed by ancient Greeks to have been erected by the Cyclopes—one-eyed giants. Due to this ancient belief, the use of large, roughly cut, ashlar blocks in building is referred to as Cyclopean masonry.
Why is the Mycenaean construction technique like the one used to build the Lion Gate referred to as Cyclopean masonry?
Why is the Mycenaean Construction technique, like the one used to build the Lion Gate, referred to as “cyclopean masonry”? It was believed by later Greeks that only a race of monsters known as cyclopes could have managed to build them.
What did the Mycenaeans believe in?
When the Mycenaeans first arrived in the Aegean they likely believed in a pantheon of gods headed by a supreme Sky God common to most Indo-European peoples. His name was Dyeus which in Greek became Zeus.
Where is the Lion Gate located and what is the importance of the relief sculpture?
The Lion Gate was the main entrance of the Bronze Age citadel of Mycenae, southern Greece. It was erected during the 13th century BC in the northwest side of the acropolis and is named after the relief sculpture of two lionesses or lions in a heraldic pose that stands above the entrance.
Why is the Mycenaean construction technique like the one used to build the Lion Gate?
What is the Lion Gate at Mycenae made of?
Lion Gate at Mycenae The Lion Gate consists of four megalithic blocks of stone arranged around an open space. At the base is a threshold to the sides of which stand two upright stones or jambs. Across the top of the jambs is an enormous lintel believed to weigh around twenty tons.