Gla: The Forgotten Fortress of Mycenaean Greece

Nestled in the fertile plains of Viotia (Boeotia) in central Greece lies a colossal fortress that, despite its impressive size, remains largely unknown to the wider public. The Mycenaean-era citadel of Gla, perched atop a limestone outcrop in what was once Lake Kopais, is a marvel of Late Bronze Age engineering, boasting fortifications ten times larger than those of contemporary Athens or Tiryns. And yet, beyond the niche circles of archaeologists and prehistorians, precious few people have heard of it.

Visiting this extraordinary site is well worth the journey. Referred to by locals as Palaiokastro, meaning “ancient fortress,” Gla’s story is one of ambition, ingenuity, and mystery, embodying the innovative spirit of the Bronze Age Mycenaean culture that flourished in Greece and across the southern Aegean over 3,000 years ago. The citadel’s Cyclopean walls—3m thick and spanning nearly 3km in circumference—encompassed a space far larger than any other Mycenaean site in Greece. Even more impressive, Gla oversaw a transformative engineering project that drained Lake Kopais (sometimes spelled Kopaida), the then largest lake in Greece, creating a vast agricultural plain.

For modern travelers, Gla offers a rare glimpse into the world Homer referred to as the “Age of Heroes,” immortalized in the Iliad and the Odyssey. A two-hour drive northwest from Athens, the site is an ideal destination for a weekend excursion from the capital, meandering through the rolling Viotian countryside. Combine a visit to Gla with a stop at Thebes, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, where the recently refurbished Archaeological Museum showcases remarkable finds from the region, including artifacts from Gla itself. Nearby, the picturesque towns of Livadia and Arachova, famed for their charm and proximity to Mount Parnassos, offer additional opportunities to explore and unwind.

The Breadbasket of Mycenaean Greece

Rising 38 meters above the plain, Gla occupies a triangular limestone plateau, commanding the surrounding landscape. Its size is astonishing: the citadel spans 23.5 hectares (235,000 square meters), dwarfing the 3.1 hectares enclosed by the walls of Mycenae. Built around 1300 BC during the Late Helladic III B period, Gla was central to a grand Mycenaean project to reclaim the lakebed of Lake Copais, a natural body of water with fertile soils ideal for agriculture.

The Mycenaeans achieved this feat through a sophisticated hydraulic system, including over 50 kilometers of canals and dams that diverted water from the Cephissus and Melas rivers into natural sinkholes and then on to the Evian Gulf. This ambitious endeavor turned the lakebed into a vast fertile plain, capable of supporting extensive farming and herding. Scholars believe Gla’s strategic position at the eastern edge of the reclaimed plain made it an administrative hub for managing the cultivation and storage of wheat, barley, and olives—staples that would have sustained the wider Mycenaean economy.

The system’s ingenuity, however, could not withstand the collapse of the Mycenaean palace-centered civilization around 1200 BC. As the hydraulic works fell into disrepair, Lake Copais gradually returned, swallowing the once dry plain by Classical antiquity (c. 500 BC). After two failed attempts in the Roman period, the lake was eventually drained again in the late 19th century by the British Lake Copais Company, echoing the Mycenaean innovation over 3,000 years earlier.

Mighty Walls, Empty Spaces

Gla’s imposing Cyclopean masonry shields a vast interior that is strikingly sparse compared to the densely constructed palace complexes of Mycenae or Tiryns. Uniquely, Gla features four gates—north, west, south, and southeast—suggesting a need for both defense and accessibility.

Within its walls, archaeologists have identified only a handful of permanent structures, including an L-shaped building in the north of the site, often referred to as a “palace,” though its exact function is debated. Rows of rooms in the so-called “agora” may have served as workshops, barracks, or storage facilities. The discovery of large quantities of carbonized grain in one building, likely burned during the site’s destruction, sometime around 1200 BC, supports the theory that Gla functioned as a storage center for agricultural surplus generated by the reclaimed Copais plain.

One of the best-known finds from the site is the preserved remains of a wall frieze known as the “Dolphins of Gla,” unearthed in the agora and now displayed in the Archaeological Museum of Thebes. Other discoveries, including storage jars and figurines, hint at a complex and organized settlement, though much about Gla’s purpose remains shrouded in mystery. Was it primarily a military garrison, a regional administrative center, or an agricultural stronghold? The evidence suggests it may have served multiple roles in the region’s economy and defense.

Conspicuously Absent

Despite its immense size and strategic location in the heart of mainland Greece, Gla is conspicuously absent from Homer’s Catalogue of Ships in Book II of the “Iliad,” which lists the Achaean Greek forces that sailed to Troy in exhaustive detail. Conversely, nearby fortified sites such as Orchomenos and Thebes are prominently featured, in addition to 27 other contingents from the historical territory of Boeotia, leading scholars to speculate on Gla’s omission. Why such a massive citadel, enclosing an area over seven times larger than Mycenae itself, was excluded from this epic remains one of its enduring mysteries.

Over the years, scholars have come up with a number of theories. Some have suggested Gla’s role as an agricultural and administrative hub, rather than a seat of royal power, may have made it less appealing for Homer’s epic narrative, which favored mythic grandeur over practical utility. Another longstanding theory is that Gla is in fact Homer’s Arne, “rich in vines,” mentioned among the Boeotian contingents in the Catalogue of Ships.

Adding to its intrigue, Gla offers archaeological evidence of advanced construction techniques, including the use of fired pan and cover tiles, a technology more commonly associated with later periods. These findings challenge long-held assumptions about technological progress in the Late Bronze Age, suggesting that Mycenaean builders were experimenting with innovations that anticipated developments of the Classical era.

Rediscovery and Preservation

Since the 19th century, the enigmatic ruins of Gla and the wider region of the Copais Basin have fascinated archaeologists, with early studies by Michalis A. Kambanis, André de Ridder, and Ferdinand Noack paving the way for more systematic excavations by Greek scholar Ioannis Threpsiadis in the mid- to late-1950s. Professor Spyros Iakovidis continued the work from 1978-1991, updating previous research and carrying out surveys of hitherto unexplored sections of the site.

A more recent 5-year project (2018-2022), led by Greek Ministry of Culture archaeologist Elena Kountouri and a multidisciplinary team, have uncovered new building complexes, and a large number of portable finds, including Mycenaean pottery, fragments of wall paintings and anthropomorphic figurines. Despite evidence of earlier Neolithic and later Byzantine activity at the site, archaeologists believe that Gla was abruptly abandoned at the end of the 13th century BC, during a time that witnessed the collapse of Bronze Age palatial culture across Greece and much of the eastern Mediterranean, and remained uninhabited during the Archaic-Classical and Roman periods. This gap adds yet another layer of mystery to its story, underscoring its unique place in the history of the region.

Today, the citadel of Gla is at the heart of a major revitalization project led by the Greek Ministry of Culture, aimed at preserving the site and enhancing its appeal to visitors. Planned improvements include walking routes around the Cyclopean walls and across the top of the acropolis, detailed signage, lighting, and connections to nearby archaeological sites like Orchomenos. By positioning Gla as both a historical landmark and a hub for hiking and heritage tourism, the project seeks to celebrate its engineering achievements and highlight its significance within the Mycenaean world.

For those seeking to step away from the crowded paths of Greece’s better-known archaeological sites, Gla offers a journey into a world of monumental ambition and innovation. The Viotian region of central Greece, rich in history and archaeological treasures, invites deeper exploration, whether as part of a weekend trip from Athens or a dedicated journey into its ancient past. Gla’s story of resilience and ingenuity resonates across millennia, connecting us to the enduring legacy of the land it once ruled.