The acropolis is invisible from the sea although the coast is only fifteen kilometres away. This fact rendered it safe from invasions. However, its advantage point – apart from the natural fortification offered by the ravines surrounding the acropolis’ hill ‒ was the impossible to siege Cyclopean masonry. It covers a space of about 3 hectares, built by enormous blocks of stone, assembled without mortar. In order to move the blocks, they probably used ramps made of sacks of sand and on top of them planks, on which they dragged the blocks. To build the wall higher, they added sacks that they removed after it was completed and thus, revealed the fort.
Nevertheless, the mystery of the mastery of the Mycenaeans remains unsolved. Which was their secret for cutting-out so enormous stone blocks? How did they master the stone? Who were these people who constructed the Cyclopean masonry (5.20 m thick and 12 m high) and how did these people look like?
History cannot answer the question, but myth can. The Cyclops, were mythical creatures with the superhuman height and enormous physical strength who had only one eye at their forehead. Myth has it that they came from a far away land, Lycia, in order to build the fortification of the palace. Tradition calls them "gasterocheires" that in Greek means "men, all hands and belly".
Perseus, son of Zeus and Danae and founder of the city, had summoned them. After he had killed Medusa, he went on a quest to find the ideal location to build his kingdom. He named the new city "Mycenae" either because his sword's sheath ("mykes" in Greek) fell to the ground there, or because he found a superfluous water spring, the "Perseia Spring", under the root of a mushroom ("mykes"). Perseus assigned to the Cyclops to build the city walls and that’s why they were named "Cyclopean".
