DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1021#0096
THE PALACE 55
or four great girders upon the pillars which supported
directly the beams of the lower roof. The beams covering
the central structure lay somewhat higher." 1
The palace is surrounded for the most part by a wall of
its own, which served at once as an inelosure and as a
retaining wall for the embankments used in leveling up the
surface.
To return, now, to Mycenae. There, again, the palace
occupied the very summit of the citadel — a far sightlier
and more commanding eminence than that of rrhe jfycenae
Tiryns. Here, too, as at Tiryns and Athens,2 PakeeSite
when kings by divine right (bioyevelg) had had their day in
Hellas, the palace gave way to a dwelling for gods in their
own right. As early as the. sixth century a Doric temple
(65 by 140 feet) wras built upon the summit, and stood
there down to Roman times. The temple foundations lie
in part above the ruins of the palace, while on the higher
level to the north the palace walls appear to have been
destroyed to clear the ground for the sanctuary.
Thus it happens that the palace remains, as we now see
them, occupy only the lower (S. W.) part of the summit.
There is no doubt, however, that the building extended as
far north as did the temple later, namely, to the wall which
served at once for a retaining and inclosing wall (like the
palace peribolos at Tiryns), and probably coincided on the
south with the circuit-wall. At the very summit the rock
is partly leveled, but all traces of building have disap-
peared ; while the foundations on the south and west, lying
some thirteen feet lower, were early buried under the debris
and so preserved.
1 Tiryns, 218 &
2 At Tiryns, as early as the fifth century, a Doric temple was built over the
men's hall ; and on the Athenian acropolis, we find the "old temple " cover-
lug some of the scant remains of the prehistoric palace.
or four great girders upon the pillars which supported
directly the beams of the lower roof. The beams covering
the central structure lay somewhat higher." 1
The palace is surrounded for the most part by a wall of
its own, which served at once as an inelosure and as a
retaining wall for the embankments used in leveling up the
surface.
To return, now, to Mycenae. There, again, the palace
occupied the very summit of the citadel — a far sightlier
and more commanding eminence than that of rrhe jfycenae
Tiryns. Here, too, as at Tiryns and Athens,2 PakeeSite
when kings by divine right (bioyevelg) had had their day in
Hellas, the palace gave way to a dwelling for gods in their
own right. As early as the. sixth century a Doric temple
(65 by 140 feet) wras built upon the summit, and stood
there down to Roman times. The temple foundations lie
in part above the ruins of the palace, while on the higher
level to the north the palace walls appear to have been
destroyed to clear the ground for the sanctuary.
Thus it happens that the palace remains, as we now see
them, occupy only the lower (S. W.) part of the summit.
There is no doubt, however, that the building extended as
far north as did the temple later, namely, to the wall which
served at once for a retaining and inclosing wall (like the
palace peribolos at Tiryns), and probably coincided on the
south with the circuit-wall. At the very summit the rock
is partly leveled, but all traces of building have disap-
peared ; while the foundations on the south and west, lying
some thirteen feet lower, were early buried under the debris
and so preserved.
1 Tiryns, 218 &
2 At Tiryns, as early as the fifth century, a Doric temple was built over the
men's hall ; and on the Athenian acropolis, we find the "old temple " cover-
lug some of the scant remains of the prehistoric palace.