Heinrich Schliemann

Heinrich Schliemann (Neubukow 1822 – Naples 1890), the son of an evangelical pastor, was forced to work from an early age to make a living. Being particularly skilled in international trade, he managed to create a large fortune.

At the age of 41 he withdrew his business activities and devoted himself to archaeology. In 1868 he visited Greece for the first time. The following year he married the Athenian Sofia Agastromenou (Kastrioti) , and in 1870 he settled in Athens.

Iliou Melathron was built in 1880 as the residence of the couple and their two children, Agamemnon and Andromache.

Schliemann’s passion for antiquity was inspired by a general interest for ancient Greece, which prevailed in Germany during the 19th century, and, especially, by his love for Homer. According to him, he became familiar with Homer from an early.

The discovery of Troy-Iliou and the excavation of important prehistoric cities, such as Mycenae, Tiryns and Orchomenos, ascribed a historic status to the Homeric epics.

His excavations and publications gave Schliemann the title of the “father of Mycenaean archaeology” as he managed to shed light on an important period of ancient Greek civilisation.