December 26, 1890

Heinrich Schliemann ((January 6, 1822 to December 26, 1890) was a colorful character in the history of archeology. His conviction that Homer's stories were based on real events led to the discovery of the actual site of the Trojan War. Schliemann also excavated at Tiryns, and as was his want, a book was quickly published to communicate his results. This was Tiryns: The prehistoric palace of the kings of Tiryns, (1885). Here he recounts some of the stories surrounding this Greek city, specifically the description of a chimaera:, or "Chimaira, the unconquerable. Of divine birth was she, and not of men, in front a lion and behind a serpent, and in the midst a goat; and she breathed dread fierceness of blazing fire." Schliemann found gold artifacts, like the Mask of Agamemnon, at more than one site he excavated.