Midea - the House of Queens?

#Midea #mycenaeancitadels #mycenaeanarchitecture #cultcentre

MIDEA - House of Queens

Warning this post contains a great deal of speculation ?
and will probably getting revised as I get more data on the site

So let us consider Midea one of the three sites said in legend to have been fortified by an early ruler, the others being Tiryns and Mycenae. Why Midea? Its at the end of a road way up in the hills and while there are farmlands nearby what else was it defending?

These walls have been reduced by earthquakes fires and erosion. I note that several of them use the outer wall for one side of the building?

I'm seriously wondering since this site was once called Pereseus' Polis if it was actually a Helladic settlement of which there are traces that had walls FOR A WINDBREAK and terraces for gardens added? There is an odd story of which we have only one mention a sentence saying Hippodameia went to Midea because she was angry at Pelops for allowing Laios to seduce and kidnap their son.

Why journey to Midea?

What else do we know about Midea? There were crafts workshops there for ceramics and jewellery.

And this was found.

Its a wheel thrown goddess figure. Not the only one but why here?

Lets take another look at the location - way inland up in the foothills but within a days travel distance of major mycenaean argolid settlement sand cities.

So there were walls houses workshops shrines but why here?

Speculation indeed but I note after the 13th destruction by quake and fire there was less rebuilding and in a completely different style.

Were the walls there to guard valued crafters and their supplies or stop slaves trained in crafts from escaping? Did they function more as windbreaks?

Was this settlement also a hunting lodge for kings or a supply depot or maybe given the jewellery or ceramics workshops found a place for queens and princesses or priestesses who valued the arts?

I'm trying to get my hands somehow on a full copy of the reports of this site but with the lockdown of libraries it may take a while to read the full text as even as an ebook  its 60 plus $.

What do you think ?

ARGOS' Shield - Mycenaean Citadels

#mycenaeancitadels #Argos #aspis  #argolid

ARGOS' SHIELD

On the edge of both the ancient and modern city of ARGOS there were two hills.

One the higher has a Frankish castle and the other lower is now crowned by a Byzantine church and trees surrounding that but was once the Mycenaean citadel of the city.

(PLEASE CHECK GOOGLE EARTH)

Note the position of ARGOS in relation to other Mycenean Argolid settelements 

A clear line of sight across the plain to Tiryns Nauplia and Mycenae and roads to the west and south plus a view of the gulf and surrounding farmlands.

Aspis Hill 

The area within the dotted line is an estimate of the Classical Era walls 

Whatever the extent of the Mycenaean city was it seems that the Aspis had a clear view over it and the main roads into the city and onwards to other places.

A different speculation as to the layout of the ancient city. 

Bear in mind there could have been more than one agora or large open areas used for cattle or sheep yards or other purposes perhaps where the modern plaza in front of the town hall is? .

In the citadels shown so far the Mycenaeans show a preference for placing citadels on one side of a settlement the most vulnerable side or the side with the best view of the surrounding area and both ideally but not too high up and not right on the sea shore or a cliff's edge.

They also seemed to have wanted to watch over cities for signs of unrest or to control populations?

Next time more Argolid sites 

The Citadel at Tiryns

#Tiryns #MycenaeanCitadel  #mycenaean

For our first look at Mycenaean Citadels I want to take another look at Tiryns in the Argolid.

First a look in context. Note the distance bar on the bottom right. Nearly all of these sites could seen from each other or contacted using signal beacons or messengers. Was there a mutual defence pact?
The High Kings city which seems too distant from the coast is actually on what have been a major road up to Achaea Corinth and further north.

Note Tiryns and just how close it is to Nauplia still  famous harbour to this day. While the coast may have been closer to Tiryns in the Mycenaean era Nauplia is the better harbour.

Now Tiryns from the air.

If you have Google Earth you can see the citadel then and now was surrounded by fertile fields.
The steepest and highest part shelter the town which archaeologists believe spread to the east and north.

This second aerial shot makes this even more obvious.

Despite later damage obscuring the entry point excavations confirm it was on the city side allowing the citadel dwellers to both defend and CONTROL those below.

Please follow the next few posts as I try to figure out and reveal if theres a design philosophy or just a really good eye for using sites or other unique features of Mycenaean citadels.

You may see some maps and photos used over several blogs for the benefit of people who may have found a single post by a random search.

Next time Argos. If you get any of the weekend bible study posts please scroll onwards or backwards if you're not also interested in Koine Greek.

Mycenaean Citadels - An Introduction

Many of you may have seen in person or via a documentary or online Mycenae in Greece which is the Classic example of a Mycenaean Citadel.

 There however many others well and lesser known which I'll be discussing in this series.

Some of them are lesser known because earthquakes tumbled the higher walls and temples or churches or castles were built on top of them. 

I'll be taking a look at Argos Tiryns Orchomenos and a few other sites like Kalogria which I believe to be Myrsinos. 

First a few common features Ive noticed.

They are near rivers or what were major roads in the past. 

They have a clear line of sight of other citadels harbors or passes. 

Lower towns or villages tend to be on one side of the citadel not surrounding it completely. 

A preference for oval shapes.

Unlike Celtic Roman or mediaeval  castles and fortresses

 No moats or ditches even where terrain would allow such.

Cyclopean foundations.

Join me for this series 

Our first stops will be ...

Well come back and found out ! 

What is a Parable?

WHAT IS A PARABLE ?

For starters its actually parabolee in Greek from the verb paraballoo

To set something side by side so as to compare one with another 

So a parabolee is a placing besides a comparision yet it also came to mean a teaching story one that tries to show us what something or one is like by comparing it to something else.

There are dozens of them throughout the Old n New Testament.

One particularly striking one if you garden or farm is that of the mustard seed.

Theyre used in relishes and sauces or added to dishes.

This story recorded in Matthew and Mark also  appears in Luke

"To What is the realm of God similar and to what will I compare it? 

(Homoioosoo is translated as liken so if you prefer you could say what is it like ? )

It is like a seed of mustard which a man took into his garden and it increased and became a tree and the birds of the sky settled down in its branches. "

It is something that grows from a small thing into something that can shelter other small things.

But perhaps I should say beings not things for the process is organic with life growing and creating new habitats for many  other lives fron one life.

Parables are both beautiful and useful. 

To read the Mustard Seed Story in Greek or English go to 

Matthew 13:31_33

Mark 4:30_32 

Luke 13:18_21 

Next time the start of that series on Mycenaean Citadels 

The Parable as ART - the Faithful servant

#gospelofluke #parable #narrative #greeknewtestament #biblestudy #bibleasliterature

THE PARABLE AS ART

LUKE Chapter 12: 41 - 48

This passage is an excellent example of several things. Many people study it for its mentions of slaves and discuss whether doulos means slave or servant here. There are morals in the parable too of great use and benefit. There are linguistic features I will comment on later.However its also an example of the parable as a clear narrative unit with a beginning and ending clearly linked.

Note the opening. Peter asks if this is a parabolee / story for us or everyone?

At first it seems like he's telling about corrupt irresponsible ministers and priests with his mention of stewards and slaves and households. But he expands on this!

47 The unfaithful servant unlike the wise faithful steward 42  the one who knew what he was suppose to do will be beated very much  dareesetai pollas  beated severely which by the way is also a lovely future middle that contrasts with the aorist forms.

48 however the one who didnt knew will receive lesser punishment oligas

This expands to a general finishing observation or promise that to everyone who was given much much will be sought of them and a person who men have entrusted with many things will have all the more asked of them.

Whether you are a leader a minister a priest a steward a politician or a secular administrator abusing your staff slave or free is not a wise action. Sooner or later a higher authority will find you out.

Its clear simple but strong narrative and message story and warning!