to the Cyclops or not, were of this construction. Tiryns and Mycense differ from other acropoles in their galleriesand gates, so that perhaps the ponderous method whichso nearly resembles the style used by the Egyptians, of whichthe gate of the lions is the best specimen in Europe , is thereal Cyclopean ; while the remainder of the circuit is thework of the natives. These fortifications were reputed to beimpregnable, and were so in ancient times. At the siege ofMycense by the Argives , these warriors found themselvesunable to destroy the city, but they forced the inhabitants tosurrender through famine. Mycenae was demolished by theArgives at the time of the destruction of Tiryns ; the build-ings were overthrown, and the city for nearly 3,000 yearshas been desolate.
The southern ramparts of the citadel and all the otherwalls follow the natural irregularity of the precipice on whichthey are founded. At its eastern point it is attached bya narrow isthmus to the mountain. It is a long, irregulartriangle, standing nearly east and west; the walls are mostlyconstructed of the second style of well-jointed polygons,although the rough construction is occasionally seen. .
So small a fortress seems unworthy of the Tirynthianhero; but though the space it occupies is so circumscribed,the walls are truly herculean: their general thickness is21 feet, in some places they are 25 ; their present height, inthe most perfect part, is 43 feet. In some places there aresquare projections from the walls, in form of towers; butthe projection is very slight: the most perfect of these is atthe south-east angle, its breadth is 33 feet, and its height43 feet.
The construction of the lateral walls is nearly regular,differing from the walls which constitute the peribolus, orboundary, of the acropolis, which are irregular polygons;they are of the hard breccia stone found on the spot, but theblock ornamented with the lions resembles in its appearancethe green basalt of Egypt -. • The back or inner part of thegate of the lions is highly interesting, as it exhibits twostyles of construction totally differing from each other; thatside which is towards the plain of Argos is of the roughCyclopean masonry, while the other side is regularly con-structed like the front of the gate and two lateral walls whichdiverge from it. It would appear that the gate had beenmade some time after the original Cyclopean structure.Without presuming to decide whether the regular as well asthe irregular or polygonal construction were not sometimesemployed at the same period, there are indeed reasons forbelieving, that w.hile the walls of acropoles, or citadels, andother strong places, were composed of Cyclopean masonry,the temples, sepulchres, and sacred edifices were formed of amore regular construction; as the former were principallyadapted to resist the impulse of warlike engines, while thesanctuaries of the gods, and the chambers of the dead, wereregarded with reverential awe even by enemies.
A magnificent wall, composed of irregular polygons,closely united and carefully smoothed, supports the terraceon which the gate of the lions is situated.
The area of the acropolis is a long irregular triangle,standing nearly east and west. On the northern side, thedeclivity also is very steep, and there is a gate which consistsof two stones, covered by a third. The opening is 5 feet11 inches wide at bottom, and 5 feet four inches at top.Above the architrave is a large stone approaching the formof a triangle, with which the ruin is about 14 feet high.The gates folded, and were secured by bars. The access tothis entrance was by an artificial terrace, which was com-pletely commanded by the wall. A curtain nearly in a rightline extends from this gate to that of the lions; and it is
very probable that certain holes in the earth above this ,which are shown by the natives as cisterns, are actuallynected with galleries similar to those of Tirynthus. ^entering the gate, there was a road, commanded by » jtwhich traversed the hill almost to the opposite side betturned to the summit; so that the acropolis was defend gat least a triple enclosure : on the northern side is a ^gate, with its lintel, entire. The structure is so di s P^; c |ithat those who entered it would have their left arm,was guarded by the shield, on the side of the acropolis j n gis a deviation from the common rule followed in constrancient Greek fortresses of all ages. The grooves t ^
bolts in the jambs of the door are of large dimensions-deep rocky glen separates the acropolis from the neigh 14 ^hill: there was anciently a bridge over the ravine s _ ^
the side - walls still remains, consisting in weh'Jpolygons. . . ve^
Of the treasury of Atreus, near Mycense, which is jugremarkable building, Mr. Hughes gives us the f° ^jtlidescription, which we would beg the reader to comp ar ® <j 9 ,the account of a structure at New Grange , near W tb eIreland , given under Celtic -Architecture. I* re ofopinion of many archaeologists that the Titan Celt® w ofthe same race as the Cyclops, who built the acrop
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“Descending down a slope flanked by enormous W ^g-arrived at a plain entrance, noble in its simplicity a ^ tb enitude ; it is 10 feet in breadth by 18 in depth—-° n ® ^\ 0 $’stones composing the architrave or lintel being a sing® ^ is27 feet long, 16 broad, and 4 deep. Immediately Tcuip^:a triangular aperture, which probably contained s ^ fiifiappertaining to Egyptian rites; the pyramidal ^° rtn ^ e! pe^ t 'triangle being considered an emblem of the fiery g ;jnila rThe chief apartment of this treasury is a dome, 7 er ^], e g^'in shape to an English bee-hive, constructed, like e n<^leries of Tiryns , with large blocks in horizontal c0Ucourse projecting over the one immediately belo^ 1 > qii^the interior surface is cut into form by the c ^ ) ^ e t j,e fi rSdiameter of its area is 47 feet ; and at the endquadrant, to the right of the entrance, is a passa n g) tl>into an inner room, about 27 feet by 20 in ^“^^aso 111 ^walls of which are not lined with any kind ot by _This vault, near 50 feet high, is finished at
Orcho® el- rC |i
y ot iviinyas, ^ ur e
however, it is not a key-stone, for the principle
single stone, like the treasury of Minyas, at a fC
is unapplied to this peculiar mode of construe fyo^inner surfaces of the blocks are pierced with ^jcli # fwhence many bronze nails have been extracted,^ j 9 tes gsupposed, not without probability, to have fastene ^ a t 4that metal over the interior surface of the edit® >Pantheon, Rome .” , ju
The approach to the treasury is 20 feet in w afe la'“ ^blocks of stone composing the larger chamber . b j e ,
regular courses, of which there are thirty-foui ioJie g,course being about two feet in thickness. The s ^jtl 1 eever, are not all of equal dimensions, but are uni ^ t j,eygreatest precision, and without the aid of cemen ^jclicomposed of the hard and beautiful breccia. o en tra a ^(itneighbouring rocks almost entirely consist. \ . eS
the inner chamber is 9-| feet high, 4 feet 7 in tr ; a iig .the base, and 4 feet 3 inches at top : it has also^ ch a *^ e »cavity above, similar to that over the ^ r ® gOl j)e> t0 ^These triangular spaces have been thought, by g ton®’ t orude method of relieving the centre of the lm e th ethrow the weight upon its ends ; but others sU ^J a bl e * , at$have some mystical allusion, which is not imp r ^jbedVarious other examples besides those just