DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.847#0366
cere or agylla. 339
of Atreus, or the tomb of Agamemnon, at Mycene, yet
older, and with such a mixture of Egyptian and Greek
art in its idea and execution; but I was still more
sorry to see the state of utter neglect in which it lay.
The passage and chambers had been seven feet
high, but they are now so blocked up, that we had
often to stoop, and in some parts further progress
is exceedingly difficult, and almost dangerous. The
old stone door has been broken down, and not
even a wooden one put in its place. Not the com-
monest lock secures it, and no respect for its so-
lemn purpose lingers to hallow it more. The rain
and the rubbish are constantly falling in, and unless
public opinion be roused to protect it, the Eegulini
Galassi tomb will soon be, like its neighbours, inac-
cessible. As I considered this wonderful remnant
of the days that are gone, I could not help saying
to myself, " Is this treasure really in Italy, or is it
in the land of barbarians? has it really been exca-
vated, and left in this state by scientific men, or has
it been sacked by plundering banditti ?"
When our kind guide saw how truly anxious we
were to obtain all possible information on the sub-
ject, to know the date of the tomb, the reasons
for assigning such a date, and the ideas of ex-
perienced antiquaries concerning it, he gave us
fully the opinions of Canina, which appeared to him
the most satisfactory, and which, as nearly as I
can detail them, are as follows:—Canina thinks that
the Galassi grave was originally covered by a small
cone, formed round a centre of mason-work, the re-
Q 2
of Atreus, or the tomb of Agamemnon, at Mycene, yet
older, and with such a mixture of Egyptian and Greek
art in its idea and execution; but I was still more
sorry to see the state of utter neglect in which it lay.
The passage and chambers had been seven feet
high, but they are now so blocked up, that we had
often to stoop, and in some parts further progress
is exceedingly difficult, and almost dangerous. The
old stone door has been broken down, and not
even a wooden one put in its place. Not the com-
monest lock secures it, and no respect for its so-
lemn purpose lingers to hallow it more. The rain
and the rubbish are constantly falling in, and unless
public opinion be roused to protect it, the Eegulini
Galassi tomb will soon be, like its neighbours, inac-
cessible. As I considered this wonderful remnant
of the days that are gone, I could not help saying
to myself, " Is this treasure really in Italy, or is it
in the land of barbarians? has it really been exca-
vated, and left in this state by scientific men, or has
it been sacked by plundering banditti ?"
When our kind guide saw how truly anxious we
were to obtain all possible information on the sub-
ject, to know the date of the tomb, the reasons
for assigning such a date, and the ideas of ex-
perienced antiquaries concerning it, he gave us
fully the opinions of Canina, which appeared to him
the most satisfactory, and which, as nearly as I
can detail them, are as follows:—Canina thinks that
the Galassi grave was originally covered by a small
cone, formed round a centre of mason-work, the re-
Q 2