1 Birthplace of Greeks and the Great Flood
1.1 Birthplace of Greeks
There are traces of people living throughout Greece during the Stone Age, but it is unknown whether these people spoke Greek.
The ancestors of the ancient Greeks lived for a long time in the upper reaches of the Cephisus River, which flows from west to east on the north side of Mount Parnassus. The Cephisus River was described as a sacred river by the ancient Greeks, and the same name was given to the rivers that flowed through them as their settlements spread. There are rivers of Cephisus in Sicyon, Argos, Athens, Eleusis, and also in Salamis and Scyros. [1]
1.2 The Great Flood of Ogygus era
It is possible to construct a genealogy of the ancient Greeks and trace their movements from the time shortly before the Great Flood of the Cephisus River in 1750 BC. The earliest known Greek names are Cleopompus and his wife Cleodora. Parnassus, the son of Cleopompus, created a settlement by gathering people who had previously lived apart into one place. Parnassus is said to have invented fortune-telling based on the flight of birds. This may have something to do with the priestess of Dodona's prophecies from observing the flight of pigeons. [2]
The name Parnassus became the name of a mountain lying north of Delphi. The name and exact location of the town founded by Parnassus is unknown. The city was destroyed by a great flood, and the people who fled fled to the heights of Mount Parnassus and founded a new city, Lycoreia. The old town appears to have been on the right bank of the Cephisus River, which flows north of Mount Parnassus. [3]
Some historical sources say that this great flood occurred during the Deucalion era, but this is incorrect for the following reasons. [4]
In 1511 BC, when Hellen's father Deucalion was living in Thessaly, there was a great earthquake that dammed the river and caused a great flood. The flood was called the Flood of the Deucalion era. However, given the topography and distance, it is inconceivable that the Great Thessaly Flood would reach the vicinity of Mount Parnassus. [5]
In 1390 BC, during the time of Deucalion, who invaded Thessaly and drove out the Pelasgians, a great tsunami occurred. Some legends say that this was a flood during the Deucalion era.
Samothrace and Megara were also affected, but it is unlikely that the tsunami that occurred in the southern part of the Aegean Sea caused damage to the foothills of Mt. Parnassus. [6]
The great flood that forced the inhabitants of the upper reaches of the Cephisus River to migrate to the higher elevations of Mount Parnassus predates the time of the two Deucalions. As in the case of Thessaly, it is presumed that the flood was caused by the long-term damming of the river due to the collapse of a mountain mass caused by an earthquake. [7]
2 Founding of Delphi and emigration to a new world
2.1 Founding of Delphi
Those who fled the floodwaters built a town on the banks of the Cephisus River and high up Mount Parnassus. The leader's name is unknown, but his wife's name was Corycia. His son's name was Lycorus, and the town was called Lycoreia after his son. Lycorus had a son Hyamus, and Hyamus had a daughter Celaeno, and Celaeno had a son Delphus. Later, a town was built on the magnificent land and named Delphi in honor of this son. [8]
Delphus had a son, Pythes, and Delphi was also called Python, after his son. [9]
Delphi was founded in 1650 BC, the fifth generation after the Great Flood.
2.2 Emigration to a new world
Most of the people living upstream of the Cephisus moved south, led by Ogygus and two of Inachus' sons, Phoroneus and Aezeius.
3 Emigration of Ogygus
3.1 Settlement in Boeotia
Ogygus led the Ectenes down the right bank of the Cephisus River and settled on the north side of the land that would become later Thebes of Boeotia. Ectenes lived from Aulis in the east to Alalcomenae in the west. [10]
The oldest gate north of Thebes bears the name of Ogygus. [11]
Eleusis, son of Ogygus, migrated further south and founded Eleusis near the mouth of the Cephisus River, which flows into the Saronic Gulf. [12]
3.2 Great emigration from Boeotia
In 1580 BC, the Ectenes' influence was weakened by a plague, and under pressure from the Hyantes and others, they migrated from Boeotia to various places. [13]
The inhabitants of Boeotia, previously known as Ectenes, became known as Hyantes. [14]
3.2.1 Immigration to Attica
The Ectenes who emigrated to Attica were scattered throughout northeastern Attica.
About 115 years after this emigration, Xuthus, the husband of Creusa, the daughter of Erichthonius, the fourth king of Athens, gathered people from the surrounding area and founded four towns: Oenoe, Marathon, Probalinthus, and Tricorynthus. [15]
3.2.2 Emigration to Thessaly
A group led by the grandfather of Hellen's father Deucalion moved to Thessaly. [16]
Later, Hellen's brother Amphictyon and Hellen's son Xuthus married the daughter of the king of Athens.
It is assumed that Deucalion's grandfather and the grandfather of Cranaus, the second king of Athens, were brothers, or at least members of the same tribe, whose homeland was Boeotia. [17]
Deucalion lived near the source of the Enipeus River, which flows from the south into the Peneius River in the northern part of Thessaly. He founded Pyrrha (later Melitaea). [18]
In 1560 BC, during the time of father of Deucalion, the sons of Larissa migrated to Thessaly from Argos on the Peloponnesus peninsula. In the time of Haemon, son of Pelasgus, son of Larissa, Thessaly was called Haemonia, and the region of Hellen, son of Deucalion, became known as Hellas. [19]
Hellen, the son of Deucalion, became independent from his father and founded a town called Hellas on the opposite bank of the Enipeus River, but when a great flood struck, he resettled to Melitaea, where his father lived. [20]
This great flood was known as the "Flood of the Deucalion Age." A large earthquake centered in northern Thessaly caused mountain massifs to collapse and land to rise. The waters of the vast swamp flowed into the Peneius River, causing flooding upstream. [21]
This flood occurred in 1511 BC, the year of the succession of Cecrops, the first king of Athens, to Cranaus, the second king of Athens. [22]
3.2.3 Emigration to Egypt
Cranaus' grandfather, and probably the father of Cecrops, the first Athenian king, migrated to the Nile Delta of Egypt and founded Sais. [23]
Cecrops is estimated to have been 16 years old at the time of emigration.
Because Cecrops spoke another language in addition to Greek, they were given the name Diphyes, which means "two-formed." He meant "speaks two languages." [24]
Cecrops is said to have had ties to Boeotia, as he is said to have founded Eleusis and Athens on the banks of the Triton River in Boeotia. [25]
Cecrops' father also had a brother named Ogygus, who founded Thebes in Egypt. [26]
Thebes, the town where Cadmus would later be born, is presumed to have been located in the Nile Delta, not in Upper Egypt. [27]
3.2.4 Emigration from Egypt to Attica
In 1562 BC, Cecrops reached adulthood and attempted to return to Greece from Egypt and landed at Myrrinous, on the coast of Attica, about 25 km north of Cape Sunium. [28]
Colaenus, who lived there, moved to Messenia and founded Colonides on a peninsula west of the entrance to the Gulf of Messenia. [29]
Cecrops married Agraulus, daughter of Actaeus, king of Athmoneis (about 15 km northeast of Athens).
In 1561 BC, Cecrops founded Cecropia (site of the Acropolis of Athens). [30]
Cecrops then founded Eleusis and Athens on the banks of the Triton River, which flows near Alalcomenae in Boeotia. [31]
Erysichthon, son of Cecrops, died on the voyage to Attica after completing his rituals at Delos. Erysichthon was buried at Prasiae, just south of Myrrinous. [32]
In 1511 BC, Cecrops died of old age and was buried at the Acropolis of Athens. [33]
When Cecrops died, his nephew Cranaus succeeded him. [34]
Cranaus was born in Egypt and immigrated to Attica from Egypt in 1535 BC.
Atthis, daughter of Cranaus, married Hephaestus of Egypt, and had a son, Erichthonius. [35]
Another daughter of Cranaus was married to Amphictyon, son of Deucalion of Thessaly, but in 1502 BC, Amphictyon banished his father-in-law Cranaus from Athens.
Cranaus fled to Lamptrae, midway between Athens and Cape Sunium, where he died. [36]
In 1492 BC, Cranaus' grandson Erichthonius came to Athens from Egypt, expelled Amphictyon, and became king of Athens. [37]
The inhabitants of Athens at the time of Cranaus were the Pelasgians. It is assumed that Cranaus was the son of Io, the daughter of Iasus, who emigrated from Argos to Egypt with many Pelasgians. Cranaus immigrated to Athens from Egypt with the Pelasgians. [38]
4 Basis for age estimation
4.1 Flood of the Ogygus era (1750 BC)
The 2nd century BC chronicler Castor of Rhodes tells us that it was 190 years from the Flood of Ogygus to Cecrops, the first Athenian king. [39]
The year of Cecrops' accession to the throne is 1561 BC, calculated backwards from the years of reign of the successive kings of Athens recorded by Castor, and the flood of the Ogygus era is estimated to be around 1750 BC. [40]
4.2 Great Migration from Boeotia (1580 BC)
The Ectenes, led by Ogygus, migrated to Boeotia to escape the flood. [41]
Afterwards, the Ectenes were oppressed by the Hyantes and others and migrated from Boeotia to various places. [42]
The time of migration from Boeotia is estimated to be around 1580 BC based on the following facts.
Cecrops, the first king of Athens, was an immigrant from Egypt. [43]
Cecrops founded Athens and Eleusis near the Triton River in Boeotia.[44]
Erichthonius (or Erechtheus), the fourth king of Athens, was also an immigrant from Egypt. [45]
The daughter of Cranaus, the second king of Athens, married Amphictyon, son of Deucalion. [46]
Creusa, daughter of Erichthonius, the fourth king of Athens, married Xuthus, son of Hellen, son of Deucalion. [47]
From the above, it is assumed that their ancestors lived in Boeotia, but migrated from there and split up into Thessaly and Egypt.
Cecrops was Egyptian, but also spoke Greek. He is thought to have been born in Greece, learned the Greek language, and then moved to Egypt. [48]
Counting backwards from 1561 BC, when Cecrops ascended the throne as King of Athens, it is estimated that they migrated from Boeotia around 1580 BC.
5 Emigration to Peloponnesus
5.1 Founding of Aegialeia, Phoroneus and Mycene
A group led by Inachus' two sons, Aezeius and Phoroneus, went further than Ogygus and sought new world. [49]
Aezeius settled on the coast just after entering the Peloponnesus peninsula and founded Aegialeia (later Sicyon). [50]
Phoroneus moved further south and settled on the edge of the plain. Phoroneus brought together a scattered people and founded Phoroneus (later Argos). [51]
It is also thought that Mycene, named after Inachus' daughter Mycene, was founded around this time. [52]
Mycenae seems to have existed before Perseus, the son of Danae, and was located at a strategic point for transportation between Sicyon and Argos. Also, before the Trojan War, the towns of Mycenae were better lands than the towns of Argos.
5.2 The conflict between Aegialeia and Phoroneus
Aegialeia and Phoroneus have been fighting since the foundation.
Apis, son of Phoroneus, increased his power, defeated Telchin, son of Europs, son of Aezeius, in battle, and took control of two cities. [53]
Thelxion, son of Telchin, used deceit to kill Apis and retake the city. [54]
The inhabitants of Aegialeia extended their range westward along the coast, and the region was called Aegialus and its inhabitants Aegialians. [55]
It is said that the name came from the Greek word Aegialeus, meaning Coast, because the town was built along the coast. [56]
5.3 Emigration from Aegialeia to Crete
Some of those defeated in the battle against Apis went to Aeria (later Crete), led by Cres, son of Telchin. [57]
In 1690 BC, the Cres settled on coastal land north of Mt. Leuca in western Crete (later Aptera). [58]
The people who went to Crete with Cres were called Telchines, after Telchin. [59]
Crete was Telchinia, and the people living on the island were called Telchines. [60]
6 Telchines
The Telchines were a transcendent race that brought technological innovation to the ancient Aegean Sea world. They were children of the sea with great navigation skills, as well as inventors, introducers, and sometimes magicians with scientific knowledge. [61]
In 1438 BC, they discovered iron by chance during a great fire on Mount Ida in Crete. They first worked iron at Aptera of Berecynthus in northwest Crete. [62]
6.1 From Crete to Rhodes
Before 1600 BC, some of the Telchines of Crete had migrated to Ophiussa (later Rhodes). The newly acquired iron-making technology was also passed on to the Telchines of Rhodes as they sailed from Crete in search of mines. [63]
Rhodes became an island of the Telchines and became known as Telchinis. [64]
6.1.1 Rhodes to Samothrace
In 1425 BC, the Telchines left the island and migrated elsewhere. [65]
Some migrated from Rhodes to Samothrace and later settled in nearby Lemnos. [66]
6.1.2 Samothrace to Boeotia
Around the same time, Cadmus, who migrated from Phoenicia to Greece, stopped at Samothrace on his voyage. [67]
The Telchines from Samothrace joined the Cadmus emigrants and migrated to Boeotia, settling in Teumessus. [68]
Cadmus discovered gold near Mount Pangaeus, north of Thrace's Chalcidice peninsula, before the Greek invasion. The Telchines, also known as the Idaean Dactyls, were instrumental in this discovery. [69]
6.1.3 Sparti
The people called Sparti, who were second in power to Cadmus, are said to have crawled out of the soil sown with serpent teeth. It is thought that this anecdote was left behind as they searched for and test mined in various places during their travels, and it is possible that there were Telchines among the Sparti. [70]
The Sparti symbolize a serpent, which may be related to the serpent of Telchinis.
Phorbas, son of Lapithus of Thessaly, is said to have killed the Rhodes serpent. [71]
Sparti maintained his leadership position as a seer or general for over a thousand years, even after the descendants of Cadmus left Thebes and the city's rulers changed hands. [72]
6.2 From Crete to Troas
In 1435 BC, the Telchines, along with Teucrus, migrated from Crete to Troas and settled around Mount Ida. [73]
Priam's wealth came from the gold mines of Astyra, near Abydus, north-northeast of Ilium. [74]
The mines were probably controlled by the Telchines, also known as the Idaean Dactyls, who were highly skilled in metallurgy. [75]
6.2.1 Troas to Lydia
In 1325 BC, Tantalus, who lived near Mount Ida, was chased by Ilus of Ilium and migrated to Lydia near Mount Sipylus. [76]
The Tantalus migration was accompanied by the Telchines, who mined gold around Mount Sipylus. [77]
The wealth of the descendants of Tantalus came from the mineral deposits of the Sipylus Mountains. [78]
Tantalus' father Clymenus was from Cydonia in northwestern Crete, and Telchines was from Aptera near that town. [79]
6.2.1.1 Lydia to Italy
In 1300 BC, the Telchines, who lived around Mount Sipylus, migrated to the Italian peninsula with the Maeonians, led by Tyrrhenus, son of Atys.
Tyrrhenus's immigrant group is thought to have gone to the Italian peninsula via Lemnos, or by accepting participants from Lemnos.
They were called Tyrrhenians in Italy, but Lemnos was also called Tyrrhenia. [80]
Also, Elba, which produces copper and iron, floating in the Tyrrhenia Sea, was given the name Aethalia.
Aethalia was an old name of Lemnos. [81]
6.2.2 From Troas to Macedonia
In 1250 BC, Mygdon, who lived in Mysia of Olympene, migrated to Paeonia. [82]
Also participating in this expedition were the Idaean Dactyli (Telchines) who lived on Mount Ida and settled in Paeonia with Mygdon. [83]
Later, they became the engineers who mined the Midas riches from around Mount Bermius in Macedonia. [84]
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