On an arid hilltop encircled by mountains are the ruins of Mycenae, the last fertile corner of the Argolid, according to Homer. This fortified settlement saw an original civilisation flourish in the second millennium BC and go on to influence Greek civilisation. And yet it was here that one of the bloodiest Greek tragedies unfolded: that of the royal family of the Atreides. A grasp of how that cruel history unfolded is essential to any visit of these ruins.