Kilian has argued that the three following buildings are to be identified as the official residences of the Lawagetas; the Lesser Megaron at Tiryns, the South-West Building at Pylos and the House of Columns at Mycenae (Kilian 1987a). Dickinson has expressed reservations (1994: 154). Can an analysis of their courts, according to our criteria, shed light on their public aspect? Of course so restricted an inquiry passes over other very important considerations, but, as will be seen, the courts of these complexes do not show that degree of similarity we have found in the design of the Great Courts.
Court 16 at Tiryns almost mimics the Great Court nearby, but with significant differences. The north and south porticoes echo the frontage of the main court, its proportions (ratio of length to width: 9.2 x 13.5 m) give a similar orientation and its size (124 m") is not inconsiderable, though much smaller than the Great Court. Moreover the progression from Court 30 to Court 16 imitates that from 2 to 4. However, the main access is very different (following an indirect passage down the long, dark, winding corridor 36), and may argue that the public functions of the Great Court played no part in the role of Court 16. It has, if not a true propylaeum, a door set in antis (Muller 1930: 160); but the door gives onto the east portico, so that the focus of one entering the court is distracted from the megaron's facade by the portico's columns and ceiling. Once standing in the court one's perspective is, as usual, closed off; perhaps even more than the Great Court this is a space one looks into, rather than out from. The scaled-down symmetry is, therefore, probably a reflection of relative status rather than parallel function.
Our imderstanding of Court 63 at Pylos is complicated by the uncertainties surrounding the phasing in this part of the site, a question which is currently under investigation. The comments here are more than usually hostages to the fortunes of future research. The main hall complex (Rooms 64—65) together with Court 63 represent an original feature. Evidently, earlier buildings were demolished when the Hall and Court were laid out. In a later phase, after their construction, there were alterations and extensions: a staircase added to the NW side and a complex, including a room and a 2m terrace, apparently impinged onto what was originally a larger Court 63 to the SE (Blackman 1997: 50). Blegen's Key Plan marks the entry system into the court, defined by Rooms 60-62, with hatching, suggesting that this too was a secondary feature added after the original layout. The recent discovery of a multiphase staircase to the south and evidently partly below Rooms 60-62, makes it even dearer that there is a long, complex history to development of this part of the site. It would appear that there was a period when access to Court 63 was more open, both from the south via the newly recognised staircase, and from the SE, from Court 58; though the superstructure of the staircase must still have enclosed the ramp up from Court 58. The indirect approach, via Ramp 59 and Corridor 61 seem to mark a reconstruction which aimed to enclose 63 and cut off any view from outside the Court of the open hall 64. Not quite as impenetrable as Court 16's at Tiryns, this indirect access is comparable. Unfortunately Rooms 89-90 (of Iron Age date) have obliterated any trace of the frontage to Court 63, but it would seem the Court although enclosed was not colonnaded. Thus, rather in contrast to Tiryns 16, the emphasis is less on visibility, those outside the court looking onto those within it. On the other hand the deep Hall 64 is the only focus from the Court, if not equally visible from all parts of it. The shape of 63 is irregular, and less clearly oriented than the others we have considered, but its size, approximately 225 m-, is impressive, especially as Hall 64 can almost be added to it and 88 may well have been open too. The suggestion that the open space here was used for banqueting (Davis et al. 1998: 84), makes excellent sense of the context and lay-out of this area.
The House of Columns at Mycenae (Wace 1949: 91-97) presents us with even greater problems of interpretation because of its poor preservation. It is plain that the main doorway gives onto a dark passage which opens into the west colonnade. Again in some ways similar to the access to Tiryns 16. Wace restored a megaron on the north side of the central court, which places the main focus and orientation of the court out of sight to anyone entering. The court measures just over six metres by about seven and a half: a fraction of the size of the courts considered up to now. Thus the court of the House of Columns differs very considerably in approach and access, size, focus, orientation and appointment from the Great Courts. Evidently there were similar small courtyards in the southern part of the citadel at Tiryns (Muller 1930: 126, 'zwei in sich geschlossene Baugruppen lagen, von denen jede ihren eigenen Hof haben musste, also offenbar Wohnungen, und zwar gewiss von Leuten, die zur Hofhaltung gehorten.'). Domestic courtyards are, of course, not considered here, as we are interested in the public areas of palaces.
In brief, there are certain features which link Tiryns 16 and Pylos 63, particularly their large size, focus and (lack of) visibility, and are sufficient to suggest that the Tiryns court merits consideration as a candidate for a banqueting area. The House of Columns, on the other hand, does not meet the argument nearly so well, and to that extent fits Kilian's hypothesis linking the three buildings less effectively. It may be that the 'Lawagetas' House' at Mycenae was located on the brow of the acropolis hill, an area whose eroded and fragmentary remains still defy a definitive reconstruction (see, most recently, Kilian 1987b).
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