It stands, glorious, at the foot of Mt Akontio: the ‘Treasury of Minyas’ bears witness to the wealth of its ruler, like its counterpart, the ‘Treasury of Atreus’ in Mycenae. Vaulted, overground, with a 30 m. road, an impressive façade, and an intricately decorated chamber with relief and inlay decorations consisting of bronze spirals, rosettes, and papyrus flowers, this tomb is the clearest indication of the dominance of the skilled residents of Orchomenus in 1400 B.C.

Its continued use in the years that followed is characteristic of the its incredible influence. The look in the descendants’ eyes keeps alive the processions of the great founder’s followers, loaded with untold treasures. Honouring a monument that defined their history, residents during the Hellenistic period placed statues of deities on marble pedestals at the centre of the tomb, while even Roman emperors were worshipped in the same space.