Lion Gate

The Lion Gate is the main entrance to the citadel of Mycenae, an important archaeological site in Greece. Mycenae was a major center of the Late Bronze Age in mainland Greece, flourishing from around 1600 to 1100 BCE. The citadel's impressive cyclopean walls and the Lion Gate itself, constructed in the 14th century BCE, showcase the defensive architecture of the Mycenaean civilization. The gate is characterized by two massive doorjambs supporting a monolithic lintel, with a relieving triangle above, filled by the famous relief of two heraldic lions, giving the gate its name. This construction method was an ingenious substitute for the arch, which was unknown to the Mycenaeans. Mycenae is famously associated with the legendary king Agamemnon, who, according to Homer, led the Achaean forces in the sack of Troy.12