Page:History of Art in Primitive Greece - Mycenian Art Vol 2.djvu/146

Fortified Towns and their General Characteristics. 1 1 1 right of the spur which conceals the Lions Gate, and again in PI. X., and also at the opposite end of the visible front of the enclosure, towards the eastern point, where it describes a triangle. What, in despite of this difference, permits us to class Mycenae and Tiryns together, is the fact that in both citadels we see the application of a rule which the Greek engineer will retain to the last days of antiquity ; namely, to arrange the approaches to all the gates along the circuit in such a way as to oblige the assailant to present his right side — i. e. that which was uncovered by the shield — for the arm, having to handle the bow or javelin, left that part of the body exposed to the missiles of the defenders stationed on the wall. There was nothing for it, either at Tiryns or Mycenae, but to present the *' naked " side whilst ascending the gently-inclined ramp which led to the main entrance, or whilst skirting the projection, in length fifteen metres, in front of the Lions Gate. The advantage derived by the defence from this arrangement was enormous, the -difficulties and dangers of the attack were greatly increased thereby, whilst it compelled the besieger to offer battle under unfavourable conditions. Nothing of the sort has been found at Troy, not even in the last stage of the enclosure. Their wits had not yet been sharpened up to the point of playing such a disagreeable trick on the foe, obliging him to turn a work he wished to storm under the volleys of the garrison. A glance at the gates of the third epoch (PL L FM, Fo) will show that the ramp by which one of the entrances is approached is perpendicular to the line of the rampart f m ; the hostile force mounting that path does not come within the range of the shots of the garrison until it faces the obstacle about to be carried. It is the same with the other gate, FO. The art, then, of construction and fortification has made considerable advance from Troy to Tiryns and Mycenae. Narrow posterns or back entrances, hidden away in the thickness of the wall, occur in the three citadels. These, at Troy and Tiryns, are reproduced in Figs. 45 and 79. At Mycenae this function seems to have been fulfilled by two passages which traversed the rampart, and ran through the eastern recess of the castle (Fig. 90, n n). At Troy, the enemy's advance and his attempts to force the passages were checked by double gates.