Expert: Irulan Serena - 8/2/2004

Question
Irulan - can one say whether the 'How Horatius Held the Bridge' story/poem is grounded in fact, or is it just considered a myth?

I am drawn to myth in that there have been found elements of pure historical fact within myth - previously unrecognized for what they were.
Recently there came the suggestion that Gilgamesh's burial place had been provisionally identified from the description in 'The Epic of Gilgamesh'. Then there was the chariot wheel recovered at the supposed Red Sea crossing point of the Exodus (though, surprisingly, no more has been heard of this remarkable find, ahem). Do you know of any other recent instances where long-standing myth has suddenly regurgitated apparent historical fact?
Thanks. Tony  

Answer
Hello again Tony,

Your question was answered on the following day you asked, however since you evidently did not get my response, here it is again:

Hello Tony,

Although this is not a recent event, the following have been discovered in excavations in Greece in recent years:

....death mask of Agamemnon  - http://itech.pjc.cc.fl.us/cschuler/clt1500/review/deathmask.html

This golden death mask of an Agaean king was found at the acropolis of Mycene. The archeologist Heinrich Schliemann referred to it as the Mask of Agamemnon, however due to Schlieman's destruction of other finings and his unorthodox non-archeological methofs mnay archeoogists do not believe the mask, although genuine, belonged to Agamemnon.

....the tomb of Agamemnon –
http://members.rogers.com/sarihm/Mycenae/pages/intomb3.htm

http://www.blasdale.com/pictures/2000/2000greece/agamemno.shtml


....the Lion Gates which were described by Homer ...the gates to the kingdom of Agamemnon – Mycenae
http://itech.pjc.cc.fl.us/cschuler/clt1500/review/lionsgate.html

Here are other pictures from the Mycenae archeological site.

http://lonestar.texas.net/~robison/mycenae.html

Since  many excavations are now in process, I am sure that much more will be found to substantiate the theory that mythology is part fiction and part fact.

To illustrate this theory:

The Minoan castle if King Minos at Knossos in Crete has been described by Homer  and by those descriptions it has been found.

http://www.daedalus.gr/DAEI/THEME/Knossos.htm

Here are some facts and pictures from other  excavations.

http://www.athenapub.com/11intro.htm

http://www.eleganza.com/fresco-minoan-gallery/1-01-wall-murals-akrotiri.html

Hope this helps you,

Cordially,

Irulan