Sam: Mycenae

I’m not quire sure what exactly I expected of the ruins at Mycenae – I suppose some grand palace befitting of a king like Agamemnon, a palace structure built more as a show of wealth than for any real practical purposes.  However, I was surprised to find the structures were also built for military uses.  The hill itself was rather remote, while also steep save for a single main road, which also meant there was only one main entrance to defend from non-siege attackers.  The living quarters of the king were much smaller than I imagined, although in the military setting, it makes sense to have a smaller, easier to defend palace than a grand building with few defenses.  Mycenae really served as a reminder as to how prominent of a role military conquest played in the ancient world.

The cistern also served as a reminder of differences between the modern and ancient worlds.  The aqueduct was truly a monumental invention, which allowed for the transport of water with comparable ease.  The water transported would also be clean and fresh.  With a cistern, however, there was only one main water source, which meant that the water was extremely susceptible to contamination.  Should the cistern become infected, or should it run dry due to a lack of rain, obtaining water would require a fairly significant trek to the closest water source.