Princes of Pylos

Presenting archaeological objects from the rich tombs of warrior-princes and the best-preserved Bronze Age palace on the Greek mainland, this volume features the latest discoveries from the dynamic world of Mycenaean Messenia.

Ancient Pylos has long captivated travelers, archaeologists, and historians familiar with Homer's Iliad and his account of the kingdom of Nestor, the prudent elder counselor in the Trojan War. Excavations begun in 1939 unearthed the storied Palace of Nestor in Messenia, an epicenter of Mycenaean civilization at a crossroads between Crete, Mesopotamia, the Levant, and Egypt.

Princes of Pylos features spectacular works of art and craft, many recently excavated at sites across Messenia, including goldwork of unparalleled artistry, masterfully carved sealstones, weapons, and wall paintings. Essays by an international team of archaeologists examine key discoveries, including the Linear B tablets—the earliest written form of the Greek language—which document the political, religious, and economic organization of the prosperous Pylian community. New research and cutting-edge science cast light on the 2015 find of the Grave of the Griffin Warrior, an extraordinary, intact burial that preserved thousands of artifacts, including the celebrated Pylos Combat Agate, one of the finest works of the Aegean Bronze Age. With over 300 illustrations, Princes of Pylos is the first major publication in English to reconstruct life in the kingdom of Pylos during the Late Bronze Age.

This volume is published to accompany an exhibition on view at the Archaeological Museum of Messenia from February 14 to May 4, 2025, J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa from June 25, 2025, to January 12, 2026, National Archaeological Museum of Athens from March 1 to June 30, 2026, and Archaeological Museum of Chora from September 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027.