DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61301#0173
PHCENICIA.
143
laces, spangles engraved with designs, sometimes of
natural animals—lions, deer, polypoi ; sometimes of
monsters—griffins and sphinxes. We do not wonder
to see monsters from the east, for we have seen the
Phoenicians land at Nauplia, the port of Mycenae, and
we have heard of workmen coming from Eastern
Lycia to carve the lions on the gate. What concerns
us is to notice that some of the objects found are
carved with designs so free, so naturalistic, that they
bear the evidence impressed upon them of a natural,
spontaneous, indigenous art, an art free and lifelike,
such as we hear of in Homer. It is at the fourth
tomb that we must specially pause. Here were found
as many as one hundred and forty-six swords, the
blades of which were covered with rust. These swords
were discovered by Dr. Schliemann with the rest of
his treasure, but it remained for them to be redis-
covered by M. Koumanoudis (17) when he was clean-
ing them previous to their being stored in the Museum
at Athens. When the rust was removed, he saw that
eight of these swords had their blades decorated with
delicate engraving; that, further, the most delicate and
varied coloured effects were obtained by the inlaying
of different metals. Besides these eight sword blades,
a ninth lies in the Museum at Copenhagen (18): it is
reported to have been found on the island of Thera.
One especially of the eight Mycenae sword blades is
143
laces, spangles engraved with designs, sometimes of
natural animals—lions, deer, polypoi ; sometimes of
monsters—griffins and sphinxes. We do not wonder
to see monsters from the east, for we have seen the
Phoenicians land at Nauplia, the port of Mycenae, and
we have heard of workmen coming from Eastern
Lycia to carve the lions on the gate. What concerns
us is to notice that some of the objects found are
carved with designs so free, so naturalistic, that they
bear the evidence impressed upon them of a natural,
spontaneous, indigenous art, an art free and lifelike,
such as we hear of in Homer. It is at the fourth
tomb that we must specially pause. Here were found
as many as one hundred and forty-six swords, the
blades of which were covered with rust. These swords
were discovered by Dr. Schliemann with the rest of
his treasure, but it remained for them to be redis-
covered by M. Koumanoudis (17) when he was clean-
ing them previous to their being stored in the Museum
at Athens. When the rust was removed, he saw that
eight of these swords had their blades decorated with
delicate engraving; that, further, the most delicate and
varied coloured effects were obtained by the inlaying
of different metals. Besides these eight sword blades,
a ninth lies in the Museum at Copenhagen (18): it is
reported to have been found on the island of Thera.
One especially of the eight Mycenae sword blades is