1 Introduction
There is a theory that the name Myrmidons comes from an ant, but it is a myth based on the name.
Strabo notes that the island's inhabitants were so named because they dug in the earth like ants. [1]
However, Myrmidons is a general term for the descendants of Myrmidon, son of Eurymedusa.
Myrmidon was another name for Triopas. [2]
Homer, in the Iliad, calls the people who were under Achilles, son of Peleus, Myrmidons. [3]
The five generals under Achilles were all descendants of Myrmidon.
Achilles' foster father Phoenix, who led the 4th Corps under Achilles' command, was a Lapith. [4]
But Eupolemeia, the mother of Ormenus (or Ormenius), the father of Phoenix's father Amyntor (or Armenius), was a daughter of Myrmidon. [5]
2 Eponym Myrmidon
2.1 Myrmidon's mother's hometown
Myrmidon's mother is said to be Eurymedusa, the daughter of the river god Achelaus. [6]
However, the river god Achelaus was Cletor (or Clitor). [7]
From the following facts, this river Achelaus is not the river that borders Acarnania and Aetolia. [8]
1) Myrmidon married Pisidice, daughter of Aeolus, and Antiphus and Actor were born. [9]
2) Eurytion, son of Actor, joined the Calydonian boar hunt from Phthia. [10]
3) Antigone, daughter of Eurytion, was the wife of Peleus, son of Aeacus. [11]
Therefore, Myrmidon's mother's homeland is assumed to be near the Achelaus River, which flows through a land called Paracheloitae near Lamia in southern Thessaly and joins the Spercheius River. [12]
Paracheloitae was in Phthia. [13]
2.2 History of Phthia
Phthia, or Phthiotis, is used both as a local name and as a town name.
In 1560 BC, the family of Larissa, daughter of Pelasgus, son of Triopas, led the Pelasgians of Argos to settle around the plains of Dotium northeast of Thessaly. [14]
The region where Phthius, one of Larissa's sons, lived was called Phthiotis. [15]
In 1390 BC, the Pelasgians, descendants of Larissa, were expelled from Thessaly by the sons of Deucalion. [16]
Deucalion had four sons, Amphictyon, Orestheus, Marathonius, and Pronous. [17]
Amphictyon founded Antheia near Thermopylae in Locris. [18]
Orestheus (or Oreius) migrated to Ozolian Locris. [19]
Marathonius emigrated to Sicyon. [20]
It is assumed that the Pronous migrated to the area around the Dotium plains of Thessaly, where the Pelasgians disappeared. [21]
Dotus, son of Neonus, son of Hellen, is said to have given the name to the plain of Dotium in Thessaly. This Hellen is presumed to be the son of Pronous. [22]
2.3 Father of Myrmidon
Counting backwards from Peleus, husband of Antigone, daughter of Eurytion, son of Actor, son of Myrmidon, Myrmidon was born in 1345 BC.
Also, when creating a genealogy, Hellen's son Neonus was born in 1370 BC.
It is assumed that Eurymedusa, daughter of Cletor, who lived in Paracheloitae in southern Thessaly, married Neonus, son of Hellen, who lived near the plains of Dotium, probably in Phthia. [23]
Therefore, Myrmidon's father is presumed to be Neonus, son of Hellen.
2.4 Cletor's mother
Genealogy shows that Eurymedusa's father Cletor was born in 1405 BC.
At that time, the ancestors of the Dryopes (or Dryopians) lived near the Spercheius River near Paracheloitae, where Cletor lived. [24]
He was Dryops, the son of the river god Peneius and Polydore, daughter of Danaus. [25]
Genealogy shows that Polydore's son Dryops would have been born in 1410 BC.
Dryops and Cletor are brothers, and Cletor appears to have immigrated to Paracheloitae from his father.
Therefore, Cletor's mother is presumed to be Polydore, daughter of Danaus.
2.5 Cletor's father
There are two clues to deducing Cletor's father.
1) First clue
It is said that Cletor's father was the river god Peneius, the husband of Danaus' daughter Polydore. [26]
The Peneius river was in Thessaly and Eleia.
The Peneius River in Eleia was named after Aethlius, son of Aeolus, migrated from Thessaly and founded Elis, sometime after 1385 BC. [27]
In the time of Cletor's father, only in Thessaly was the river Peneius.
It is therefore assumed that Cletor's father lived near the Peneius River in northern Thessaly.
2) Second clue
This is how a long-distance marriage between a person living near the Peneius River in northern Thessaly and a person living in Argos was realized.
In 1420 BC, Dorus, the son of Hellen, who lived near the Peneius River, was oppressed by a large group of Cadmus and Thracians who had migrated south from Thracia, and moved to near Mount Parnassus. [28]
At this time, some people did not emigrate with Dorus, but remained near the Peneius River.
Among them was the family of Iphthime, the daughter of Dorus. [29]
Iphthime's husband is unknown.
However, since the son of Iphthime was married to the daughter of Danaus, it seems likely that they were Pelasgians.
Iphthime had three sons, Pherespondos, Lycos, and Pronomos, one of whom became the husband of Polydore, daughter of Danaus, and by whom she had a son, Dryops. [30]
It is assumed that what made the long-distance marriage of Cletor's parents possible was the marriage of Polydore's sisters Scaea and Automate with the sons of Achaeus. [31]
In 1435 BC, Achaeus, son of Xuthus, migrated from Aegialus in northern Peloponnesus to Melitaea in Thessaly. [32]
In 1420 BC, Achaeus returned to Aegialus, pressed by large groups of Cadmus and Thracians. Then the two sons of Achaeus, Archander and Architeles, took the daughters of Danaus of Argos to be his wives. [33]
Their marriage appears to have united Polydore and Iphthime's son.
Polydore married the son of Iphthime, who lived near the river Peneius in Thessaly, and they had two sons, Dryops and Cletor.
In 1390 BC, the Pelasgians who lived in Thessaly were chased by the sons of Deucalion and migrated elsewhere.
Iphthime's family settled near the Spercheius River, near where Iphthime's father Dorus had migrated. [34]
Cletor's father is therefore presumed to be one of Iphthime's three sons: Pherespondos, Lycos, and Pronomos.
3 Descendants of Myrmidon
Myrmidon's father Neonus' father Hellen's father Pronous' father Deucalion's father was Dorus, so Myrmidon's race is Dorians.
The father of Iphthime, mother of father of Cletor, father of Eurymedusa, mother of Myrmidon, was Dorus, the founder of the Dorians. [35]
Myrmidon married Pisidice, daughter of Aeolus. [36]
Aeolus was the son of Lapithus, and it is assumed that Myrmidon's wife was Lapiths. [37]
Myrmidon had three sons, Antiphus, Actor, and Erysichthon, and a daughter, Eupolemeia. [38]
3.1 Antiphus (or Antippus), son of Myrmidon
Antiphus had a daughter, Hippea. [39]
Hippea married Elatus, son of Periphas, son of Lapithus, who lived near the river Peneius. [40]
3.2 Actor, son of Myrmidon
Actor had two wives, Aegina, daughter of Sicyon, and Damocrateia. [41]
Many children were born to Actor and his wives.
3.2.1 Alope, daughter of Actor
Alope married Erytus, the son-in-law of her aunt Eupolemeia, or Echion. [42]
3.2.2 Aeacus, son of Actor
3.2.2.1 Wives of Aeacus
Aeacus had two wives, Psamathe and Endeis (or Endais). [43]
Psamathe and Endeis were sisters, and their father was Scirius (or Sciron, Chiron, Scirus), the biological father of Aegeus, king of Athens. [44]
In other words, Aeacus and Aegeus were stepbrothers.
Aeacus arbitrated the dispute between Pandion's son Nisus and Pandion's son-in-law Sciron for succession to Megara after Pandion's death. [45]
For Aeacus, Nisus, and Sciron were step-brothers through Aegeus.
At that time, Aeacus was known as a pious man. [46]
3.2.2.2 Emigration to Aegina
Aeacus migrated from Thessaly to Oenone in the Saronic Gulf, and the island was later called Aegina, after his mother.
The connection between Phthia, where Aeacus was born, and Aegina, which is far away, is presumed to be as follows.
Salamis, sister of Aeacus' mother Aegina, married Scyrius, who lived on the island of Salamis. [47]
Aeacus appears to have settled in Aegina, near where his aunt Salamis married.
Aeacus founded Dia before moving to Aegina. [48]
Aeacus led a large group of people from Dia to the island, which was also called Myrmidonia. [49]
Aeacus' two wives were the daughters of first wife of Scyrius of Salamis, and the stepdaughters of Aeacus' aunt Salamis.
In other words, Aeacus' two wives were Aeacus' step cousins.
Aeacus and Psamathe had a son, Phocus (or Phoeus). [50]
Two sons were also born to Aeacus and Endeis, Peleus and Telamon. [51]
3.2.2.3 Descendants of Aeacus
The sons of Aeacus and their descendants will be discussed below.
3.2.3 Echecles, son of Actor
Echecles married Polymele, daughter of Phylas, who lived in Dryopia, and they had a son, Eudorus. [52]
Eudorus led the second corps under Achilles. [53]
3.2.4 Menoetius, son of Actor
In 1262 BC, Menoetius migrated from Phthia to Opus in Locris. It was Menoetius' participation in the construction of a town by Opus, son of Locrus, in the middle of Thermopylae and the straits of Euripus. Opus liked Menoetius, and instead of handing over the city to his son Cynus, he made Menoetius inherit it. Opus' son Cynus founded a town near Opus named Cynus. [54]
In 1224 BC, Menoetius took part in Heracles' attack on Eurytus. [55]
Eurytus, son of Melaneus, lived in Oechalia of Euboea. [56]
3.2.4.1 Abderos, son of Menoetius
Abderos was a minion of Heracles. [57]
3.2.4.2 Patroclus, son of Menoetius
Menoetius married Philomela (or Polymele), daughter of Peleus, from Phthia, and they had a son, Patroclus. [58]
Patroclus killed Clitonymus, son of Amphidamas, and defected from Opus to his maternal grandfather Peleus in Phthia. [59]
In Phthia lived Achilles, the son of Peleus. Achilles was Patroclus's uncle, although he was slightly younger than him. [60]
Patroclus went on an expedition to Troy with Achilles and was killed in battle. [61]
3.2.4.3 Myrto, daughter of Menoetius
There is a tradition that Myrto, the daughter of Menoetius, married Heracles and had a daughter, Eucleia. [62]
Menoetius was a friend of Heracles, but there is no tradition that he was Heracles' father-in-law. [63]
3.2.5 Ceyx, son of Actor
In 1250 BC, Ceyx migrated from Phthia to the foothills of Mount Oeta, across the Spercheius River towards Dryopia, and founded Trachis. [64]
In 1246 BC, the Aenianians, ancient inhabitants of the plains of Dotium northeast of Thessaly, fled around Mount Oeta, chased by the Lapiths led by Ixion and his son Peirithous. [65]
Later, when Heracles migrated to Trachis, the inhabitants of Trachis under Ceyx were Malians (or Melians). [66]
It is presumed that the daughter of the leader of the Malians married Ceyx, and Ceyx became the leader of the Malians. [67]
From the following facts, it is presumed that the Malians were a branch of the Aenianians.
1) Malians also came to live in Echinus, at the foot of Mount Othrys, north of the Malian Gulf. [68]
2) The Aenianians expanded their range from near Mount Oeta to Echinus at the foot of Mount Othrys. [69]
Ceyx had his son Hippasus and daughter Themistinoe. [70]
3.2.5.1 Hippasus, son of Ceyx
Hippasus took part in a battle with Heracles against Eurytus, ruler of Oechalia in Euboea, and was killed in battle. [71]
Hypsenor, son of Hippasus, took part in the Trojan expedition. [72]
3.2.5.2 Themistinoe, daughter of Ceyx
Some legends say that Themistinoe was the wife of Cycnus (or Cygnus) of Itonus in the northwest of the Pagasetic Gulf, but this seems to be a fiction. [73]
Cycnus was a member of the Lapiths who expelled Themistinoe's mother's clan. Cycnus fought against Heracles and was killed. [74]
3.2.6 Daedalion, son of Actor
The 1st century AD poet Ovidius tells us that Daedalion was the brother of Ceyx of Trachis, so Daedalion may also have been the son of Actor. [75]
3.2.6.1 Sons of Daedalion
The 5th century BC historian Pherecydes tells us that Deion's daughter Philonis had Philammon and Autolycus. [76]
The 1st century BC theologian Conon tells us that Philammon was the son of Philonis, the daughter of Heosphorus who lived in Thoricus in Attica, and Cleoboia. [77]
Heosphoros (or Eosphorus) is the Dawn-bringer, and his human name seems to be Deion, as reported by Pherecydes. [78]
Ovidius and Hyginus tell us that Philammon and Autolycus are the sons of Chione, daughter of Daedalion. [79]
However, Pausanias tells us that Autolycus was the son of Daedalion. [80]
Genealogically, Philammon and Autolycus are more plausibly the sons of Daedalion himself, rather than the sons of Daedalion's daughter.
3.2.6.2 Wife of Daedalion
From this it follows that Daedalion's wife Philonis (or Chione) was the daughter of Deion, who lived in Thoricus.
From the following facts, it is assumed that Deion, who lived in Thoricus, was Philonis (or Chione), the daughter of Pandion, the 8th king of Athens.
Cephalus, son of Deion, was king of the Athenians. [81]
Cephalus, son of Deioneus, lived in Thoricus. [82]
Cephalus, son of Deion married Procris, daughter of Erechtheus, in Thoricus of Attica. [83]
Hyginus tells of Nisus, king of Megara, who many traditions say is the son of Pandion, as the son of Deion. [84]
Therefore, it is assumed that Cephalus was the son of Pandion, king of Athens, who also had the other name Deion (or Deioneus).
So Daedalion's wife was the daughter of Pandion, king of Athens.
3.2.6.3 Autolycus, son of Daedalion
Autolycus lived near Mount Parnassus. [85]
Autolycus married Amphithea and had a son, Aesimus, and a daughter, Anticlia. [86]
3.2.6.3.1 Aesimus, son of Autolycus
Aesimus was the brother of Anticlia, and Sinon, son of Aesimus, was the cousin of Odysseus. [87]
Sinon lived in Argos and took part in the Trojan expedition. [88]
In Homer's story, Sinon was left in Ilium with the wooden horse after the Achaeans left and served to deceive the Trojans. [89]
3.2.6.3.2 Anticlia, daughter of Autolycus
Anticlia married Laertes, son of Arcesius, who lived in Ithaca. [90]
Blood ties made possible the long-distance marriage between Anticlia and Laertes.
Laertes was the son of Arcesius, son of Cephalus, son of Pandion, and Anticlia was Laertes' second cousin.
3.2.6.4 Philammon, son of Daedalion
Philammon married Argiope, daughter of Charops, and they had a son, Thamyris. [91]
Philammon and his son Thamyris were poets and won hymn-singing competitions at the Pythia festival. [92]
3.2.7 Haemon, son of Actor
Alcimedon, son of Laerces, son of Haemon, commanded the fifth corps under Achilles. Peisander's father, Maemalus, who commanded the third corps, also appears to have been Haemon's son. [93]
3.2.8 Pyttius, son of Actor
In 1280 BC, Pyttius migrated from Phthia to Eleia on the Peloponnesus Peninsula and founded Buprasium near Salmone on the Enipeus River. [94]
Automedon, son of Diores, son of Amarynces, son of Pyttius, took part in the expedition to Troy, and served as charioteer of Achilles. From this, it is assumed that Pyttius was also connected to the lineage of Myrmidon and was the son of Actor. [95]
3.2.8.1 Amarynces, son of Pyttius
Amarynces succeeded his father as ruler of Buprasium, which was under the control of Elis, and was appointed general by Augeas, king of Elis, when Heracles attacked Elis. [96]
Amarynces had two sons, Hippostratus and Diores. [97]
Hippostratus succeeded his father. [98]
Diores led part of Eleia's army in the expedition to Troy. [99]
Automedon, son of Diores, was the charioteer of Achilles. [100]
3.2.9 Eurytion, son of Actor
Eurytion succeeded his father as ruler of Phthia and had a daughter, Antigone.
In 1256 BC, Eurytion took Peleus, son of Aeacus, as a son-in-law to Antigone.
Peleus was Eurytion's nephew. [101]
Antigone married her cousin Peleus and had a daughter, Polydora. [102]
Polydora married from Phthia to Borus, son of Perieres, who lived near the river Spercheius. [103]
3.2.10 Ctimenus (or Irus), son of Actor
In 1275 BC, Ctimenus migrated from Phthia to Dolopia, near Xynian Lake, and founded Ctimene. [104]
Eurydamas and Eurytion, two sons of Ctimenus and Demonassa, appear in the story of the Argonauts' expedition. [105]
It is said that Amyntor of Dolopes and Peleus fought, and Amyntor is also thought to be the son of Ctimenus. Peleus took Crantor, son of Amyntor, as a hostage and made him his shield-bearer. [106]
However, Amyntor appears to have been a cousin of Peleus, and it is doubtful that there was any fighting between them.
3.3 Erysichthon, son of Myrmidon
Erysichthon had a daughter, Mestra. [107]
Mestra married Autolycus, son of Deimachus, who lived in Trica. [108]
3.4 Eupolemeia (or Eupolemia), daughter of Myrmidon
Eupolemeia married Cercaphus, the younger brother of her mother Pisidice. Cercaphus lived in Itonus. [109] |
4 Phocus, son of Aeacus
Legend has it that Phocus was killed by his stepbrothers Peleus and Telamon, but this is a myth.
It is also assumed that the tomb of Phocus, which Pausanias describes as being seen in Aegina, was created based on folklore. [110]
In 1264 BC, when Minos attacked Megara, Aegina was also involved. [111]
The battle was won by Minos, and the Cretans migrated to Aegina and lived with the Aeacus clan. [112]
In 1256 BC, Phocus, son of Aeacus, led a band of immigrants from Aegina to the northern part of Phocis, near Naubolenses (later Drymaea). [113]
The city had been founded some time before by Naubolus, son of Ornytus, son of Lynceus, son of Deucalion, son of Abas, son of Lynceus. [114]
Phocus had two sons, Panopeus and Crisus. [115]
4.1 Panopeus, son of Phocus
Panopeus migrated from his father's home to near the border with Boeotia and founded Panopeus. [116]
Panopeus had his son Epeius (or Epeus) and a daughter Aegle. [117]
Epeius took part in the Trojan expedition and became a wooden horse maker. [118]
Aegle married Theseus, king of Athens. [119]
4.2 Crisus, son of Phocus
Crisus migrated from his father to the west side of Delphi and founded Cirra (later Crisa). [120]
Crisus married Antiphateia, daughter of Naubolus, and they had a son, Strophius. [121]
Strophius married Agamemnon's sister Kydragora and had a son, Pylades, and a daughter, Astydameia. [122]
5 Telamon, son of Aeacus
In 1256 BC, Telamon migrated from Aegina to Salamis and married Cychreus' daughter Glauce. [123]
Telamon then married Alcathous' daughter Eriboea (or Periboea). [124]
Telamon had two sons, Ajax (or Aias) and Teucer. [125]
5.1 Ajax, son of Telamon
Ajax married Lysidice and Philaeus (or Philius) was born. [126]
Lysidice was a descendant of Caeneus, son of Elatus of Lapiths. [127]
Ajax inherited Megara when his mother Eriboea's father Alcathous died. [128]
Ajax died during the Trojan campaign and was buried by Achilles' son Neoptolemus. [129]
Ajax had two sons, Aeantides and Eurysaces, born to him during his expedition to Troy.
5.1.1 Philaeus, son of Ajax
It is assumed that Philaeus' wife was Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon.
The reason is as follows.
1) There was a mausoleum of Iphigenia in Megara, where Philaeus is thought to have lived with his father Ajax, king of Megara. [130]
2) Philaeus emigrated to Brauron in Attica. [131]
3) Iphigenia became a priestess in the service of Artemis, and she is presumed to have died in Brauron. [132]
4) Iphigenia's brother Hyperion succeeded King Megara. [133]
Among the descendants of Philaeus was Miltiades, son of Cypselus, who built the walls of Chersonese in the 6th century BC. [134]
Pausanias describes Miltiades as a general of Marathon, but Herodotus and Pherecydes say he was the son of Cypselus. [135]
5.1.2 Aeantides, son of Ajax
Aeantides was the son that Ajax bore to Glauce, daughter of Cycnus, whom he had taken captive in battle against Cycnus (or Cygnus) of Colonae, south of Ilium. [136]
Aeantides was the progenitor of the Aeantis and seems to have lived near Marathon. [137]
At the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC, 52 of the 1,360 Greeks killed were Athenians, all of whom were from Aeantis. [138]
5.1.3 Eurysaces, son of Ajax
Ajax raided Phrygia, which crossed the Hellespont from Chersonese, fought and killed Teuthras, and took his daughter Tecmessa prisoner. [139]
Eurysaces was the son of Ajax and Tecmessa. [140]
Eurysaces lived in Melite of Attica, where there was a sanctuary for Eurysaces. [141]
5.2 Teucer, son of Telamon
5.2.1 The Lore of Teucer's Return
Teucer reportedly returned to his homeland after the fall of Troy, but his father Telamon was not allowed to land. [142]
Pausanias tells a similar story of how Telamon killed his brother-in-law and excused himself from the ship to his father, but was not forgiven. [143]
These anecdotes are believed to have been created after the 5th century BC.
On the coast of Peiraeus in Athens, a tribunal called the Phreattys was set up to plead from ships to those on land. [144]
This court was established after Peiraeus became a port during the time of Themistocles in the 5th century BC. [145]
5.2.2 The truth about Teucer's return
If the legend that Teucer was driven back by Telamon is a fiction, then the only evidence of Teucer's return is the sons born in Troy to Ajax and his captive women.
In fact, the sons of Ajax, Aeantides and Eurysaces, have returned from Troy. [146]
However, it is possible to bring them home without Ajax's brother Teucer.
In one case, the remains of Machaon, who was killed in battle at Troy, were entrusted to Nestor by his brother Podalirus. [147]
5.2.3 Emigration to Cyprus
Most of the legends about Teucer are believed to be fiction, except for the fact that he founded Salamis in Cyprus. [148]
The 12th century AD rhetorician Tzetzes states that Teucer arrived at Cyprus earlier than Agapenor. He also says that Agapenor came to Cyprus to mine copper. [149]
Also, the chronicler Malalas of the 6th century AD tells us that Teucer came to Ilium from Cyprus after the death of his brother Ajax, and at that time Neoptolemus was present. [150]
In other words, it is assumed that Teucer migrated to Cyprus for copper mining or other purposes, and that Agapenor migrated from Arcadia later than Teucer.
5.2.4 Founding of Salamis
Teucer rushes from Cyprus to Ilium to help Ajax, who has gone on an expedition to Troy with Achilles, but only after the outcome has been decided. [151]
Teucer returned to Cyprus with the Trojans who wished to emigrate and founded Salamis. [152]
5.2.5 Marriage of Teucer
Agapenor founded Paphos near Palaepaphos in the southwestern part of the island. [153]
Teucer took as his wife a daughter of Cinyras, who lived at Palaepaphos, near Paphos, which was founded by Agapenor. [154]
In 1360 BC, Elatus, son of Arcas of Arcadia, took as his wife Laogore, daughter of Cinyras and Metharme, from Palaepaphos in the southwestern part of Cyprus. [155]
Arcadia and Cyprus appear to have had contact since then.
Elatus' wife's father, Cinyras, is presumed to be an ancestor of Teucer's wife's father, Cinyras.
Cinyras, along with King Midas, was synonymous with wealth. [156]
5.2.6 Descendants of Teucer of Salamis
Pausanias tells us that the rule of Salamis by the descendants of Teucer, son of Telamon, continued until Evagoras. [157]
However, even after Evagoras, his descendants ruled Salamis. It lasted until Nicocreon, four generations after Evagoras. [158]
5.2.7 Ajax, son of Teucer
Ajax, son of Teucer, ruled over the Olbe region of Cilicia Tracheia, on the northern opposite coast of Cyprus. [159]
In the 6th century BC, Solon of Athens persuaded Philocyprus of Aipeia in Cilicia to help him build Soli on the plains below the town. Philocyprus appears to be a descendant of Teucer's son Ajax. [160]
Aipeia is said to have been a hard and poor land, and is thought to have been Cyinda (or Quinda), a place where Alexander the Great stored his goods. [161]
5.3 Marriage lore of Telamon and Hesione
There is a tradition that Telamon married Hesione, the daughter of Laomedon, king of Troy. [162]
This marriage appears to have been a fabrication to make Telamon's son Teucer the heir to the royal family of Troy.
Teucer returned to Cyprus from Ilium with many Trojans and founded Salamis. [163]
The ruler of Salamis, who succeeded Teucer, is thought to have created a story that made them appear to be descendants of the royal family of Troy in order to subjugate the population. [164]
5.3.1 When the tradition was established
The early 1st century AD writer Hyginus and the 2nd century AD writer Apollodoros say that Teucer's mother was Hesione. [165]
The tragic poet Lycophron of Chalcis of the 4th century BC suggests that Teucer was the brother of Trambelus, the father's sister of Priam's daughter Cassandra. [166]
The 1st century BC poet Parthenius of Nicaea tells us that Trambelus, son of Telamon, was slain by Achilles, who later learned his father's name and mourned. [167]
Homer also says that Ajax and Teucer are "brothers who share the same father." [168]
Therefore, the Cyprus marriage legend of Telamon and Hesione appears to have been created shortly after the Trojan War and spread throughout Greece.
6 Peleus, son of Aeacus
6.1 Emigration to Phthia
In 1256 BC, Peleus emigrated from Aegina to Eurytion, son of Actor of Phthia. Peleus married Antigone, daughter of Eurytion, and had a daughter, Polydora. [169]
Antigone's father, Eurytion's father, Actor, was the father of Aeacus, father of Peleus, and Antigone was Peleus' cousin.
After Eurytion's death, Peleus succeeded him. [170]
6.2 Location of Phthia
The 5th century BC historian Pherecydes tells us that Peleus lived in Pharsalus and Thetideion. [171]
The Pharsalus appears to be the old town that Strabo describes as Palaepharsalus. Strabo states that Thetideion, named after Peleus' wife Thetis, was near Pharsalus and Palaepharsalus. [172]
Leake, a 19th-century Royal Society Fellow, estimated that Palaepharsalus was located half a mile east of the acropolis of Pharsalus. [173]
The Enipeus River flows to the east of Pharsalus. Palaepharsalus, in other words, Phthia, is presumed to have been located east of Pharsalus, near the Enipeus River.
6.3 Battle against Centaurs
The 1st century AD poet Ovidius tells us that Peleus fought and conquered Amyntor, son of Ctimenus, of Dolopia, west of Phthia. [174]
However, Amyntor appears to have been a cousin of Peleus, and it is doubtful that a battle took place there.
In 1247 BC, Peleus took his son Crantor from Amyntor and made him his shield bearer. [175]
In 1246 BC, during a battle between the Lapiths and the Centaurs, Peleus sided with the Lapiths and fought against the Centaurs. [176]
Pisidice, the mother of Actor, father of Aeacus, father of Peleus, was a Lapith. [177]
6.4 Civil War of Iolcus
In 1236 BC, a civil war broke out in Iolcus and Acastus, son of Pelias, was killed. Peleus expelled the rebellious Minyans from Thessaly. [178]
In this battle, Peleus rescued Thetis and brought her back to Phthia. It is assumed that Thetis was the wife of Acastus' son. [179]
Peleus took Thetis as his wife and they had a son, Achilles. [180]
6.5 Phoenix
In 1230 BC, Phoenix, son of Amyntor, came from Ormenium to Peleus of Phthia. Peleus gave Dolopia to Phoenix as a fief and entrusted him with the upbringing of Peleus' son Achilles. [181]
Phoenix defected to his father Amyntor's second cousin Peleus.
6.6 Family lineage of Thetis
6.6.1 Lore about Thetis
There are two traditions that can be used to infer Thetis' family lineage.
1) Pausanias tells us that the mother of Peleus' half-brother Phocus was a sister of Thetis. [182]
Pausanias also tells us that Phocus' mother was Psamathe, daughter of Nereus. He also appears to refer to them as sisters through the sea god Nereus. [183]
2) Dictys of Crete tells us that Thetis' father was Chiron.
Dictys does not write that Chiron is Centaur, but that he is the same as Nereus. [184]
6.6.2 Chiron of Centaur
No historical sources indicate that Thetis was the daughter of Chiron of Centaur.
Nevertheless, Chiron, the father of Thetis, was associated with Centaur, likely due to the influence of the 5th century BC lyric poet Pindar and the 3rd century BC epic poet Apollonius of Rhodes.
Pindar writes that the feast of Peleus and Thetis took place on Mount Pelion. [185]
Apollonius tells us that the wife of Chiron, son of Philyra, on Mount Pelion was carrying Achilles, son of Peleus, and writes that Chiron of Centaur was Achilles' grandfather. [186]
However, the Centaurs were driven from Thessaly by the Lapiths in 1246 BC, Iolcus was destroyed, and Peleus and Thetis were married in 1236 BC.
Centaurs were not living on Mount Pelion at the time of the events reported by Pindar and Apollonius.
6.6.3 Father of Thetis
Thetis is said to be the daughter of the "old man of the sea" or the "sea god Nereus". [187]
If Chiron, who Dictys tells us is the father of Thetis, is a Centaur who lives on Mount Pelion, then he has no connection to the "sea".
Hyginus tells us that Endeis, the mother of Peleus and Telamon, was fathered by Chiron. [188]
Apollodorus, Pausanias, and Plutarch convey "Chiron" as "Sciron". [189]
6.6.4 Sea God Nereus
Plutarch tells us that in the same generation as Theseus, son of Aegeus, was Menesthes, son of the daughter of Scirus of Salamis. [190]
This means that the Argonauts Peleus and Theseus were of the same generation, and their grandfather had a man named Scirus in Salamis.
This person is presumed to be the same person as Scyrius, the biological father of Aegeus and the one who gave the name to Scyros, which floats north of Euboea. [191]
It is said that the Athenians at the time of Aegeus did not have the skills to steer a ship, so the Salaminians took the helm, and the Salaminians at that time were a people of the sea. [192]
It is therefore assumed that Scyrius of Salamis was the father of Thetis and the sea god Nereus.
Thus Chiron, the father of Thetis, was the father of Aegeus, and Scyrius, the maternal grandfather of Peleus and Telamon.
6.6.5 Father of Scyrius
Since Pandion, the son of Cecrops, adopted Aegeus, the son of Scyrius, and Aegeus succeeded Pandion as king of Athens, I can infer the following. [193]
Besides Pandion, Cecrops had sons Cychreus and Scirius (or Sciron, Chiron, Scirus).
Cecrops and his sons were expelled from Athens due to a quarrel with his half-brother Eupalamus. [194]
Cychreus emigrated to Salamis. [195]
Cychreus was a figure respected in Athens on a par with the gods. [196]
Scyrius emigrated from Athens to Scyros. [197]
Scyrius was the son-in-law of Cychreus' daughter Chariclo, and their daughter Endeis (or Endais) was the wife of Aeacus. [198]
When Cychreus of Salamis died without an heir, Scyrius left Scyros to his son and emigrated to Salamis. [199]
Scyrius also had a son, Aegeus, who was adopted by Pandion. [200]
Theseus fled Athens and went to Scyros because of the territory of his father Aegeus. [201]
6.7 Death of Peleus
Tradition has it that Peleus was driven out of Thessaly by Acastus after the Trojan War. If Peleus and Acastus were alive at that time, they would be about 100 years old. [202]
In 1230 BC, Amyntor's son Phoenix migrated to Peleus, who gave Dolopia to Phoenix. [203]
This event is probably the last reliable news of Peleus.
In 1227 BC, Heracles begins a war against the Lapiths at the request of Aegimius.
Peleus, who was estimated to be 53 years old at the time, did not appear in this battle. Some time after Peleus accepts Phoenix, he is presumed dead. [204]
When Peleus died, his son Achilles was about seven years old and was raised by Phoenix. [205]
Achilles was Phoenix's third cousin.
6.8 Philomela (or Polymele), daughter of Peleus
Philomela, daughter of Peleus and Polydora, daughter of Perieres, married Menoetius, son of Actor, of Opus, and had a son, Patroclus. [206]
Patroclus was Achilles' nephew, although he was older than Achilles. [207]
6.9 Polydora, daughter of Peleus
Polydora, daughter of Peleus and Antigone, daughter of Eurytion, married Borus, son of Perieres, who lived near the river Spercheius, and had a son, Menesthius. [208]
Menesthius led the first corps under Achilles. [209]
6.10 Achilles, son of Peleus
Achilles was born in Phthia, the son of Peleus and Thetis. [210]
According to the genealogy he created, Achilles was 47 years old when he was killed in action at Troy.
Achilles was a young warrior, considering that like Leonidas, the hero of Thermopylae, and Alexander the Great's strongest force, the Argyraspides, were warriors even over the age of 60.
Achilles married Deidamia, daughter of Lycomedes of Scyros. [211]
Achilles had two sons, Neoptolemus (or Pyrrhus) and Oneiros. [212]
6.10.1 Oneiros, son of Achilles
Oneiros was killed by Orestes, son of Agamemnon, at Phocis. [213]
Oneiros was probably also killed during Neoptolemus' battle with the Delphians. Orestes' close friend Pylades lived in Cirrha, near Delphi. [214]
6.10.2 Neoptolemus, son of Achilles
6.10.2.1 Trojan War Era
Neoptolemus was born the son of Deidamia, daughter of Achilles and Lycomedes. [215]
After Achilles' death, Neoptolemus is said to have been summoned by an oracle to the battlefield at Troy. [216]
However, a genealogy shows that Neoptolemus was 26 years old at the time of the fall of Troy.
Probably Neoptolemus, together with his father Achilles, led the Achaeans on an expedition to Troy to support Hector, son of Priam. After Achilles and Hector were killed in battle, the Achaeans left Troy and were scattered. Neoptolemus moved to the land of the Molossians, taking Hector's brother Helenus and Helenus' sister Andromache with him. [217]
6.10.2.2 Neoptolemus settlement
Neoptolemus went to the land of the Molossians and settled on the Ioannina Plain, north of Dodona, near the present-day Lake Pamvotis. [218]
The name of the town where the royal palace of Epirus was located is not mentioned in Thucyides' "The History of the Peloponnesian War" or Arrian's "The Anabasis of Alexander".
It is likely that there were many unknown villages scattered throughout the area.
6.10.2.3 The end of Neoptolemus
In 1175 BC, Neoptolemus sacked Delphi and was killed in battle with the Delphian Machaereus, son of Daetas. [219]
Neoptolemus is also said to have been killed by Orestes. Orestes, along with Pylades, who lived in Cirrha, appears to have fought Neoptolemus on the side of the Delphians. [220]
7 Kingdom of Epirus
7.1 Succession of Epirus
Helenus founded Butrotum near the western coast of Dodona. [221]
Leake believed that Neoptolemus lived in Butrotum. [222]
However, it is assumed that Neoptolemus lived in Hellopia and Helenus lived in Butrotum.
After the death of Neoptolemus, the kingship of Epirus was succeeded by Helenus. [223]
Helenus then summoned Neoptolemus' son Molossus to Butrotum to succeed him. [224]
Cestrinus, son of Helenus and Andromache, moved from Butrotum to land a little closer to the Ambrasian Gulf and founded Cestria. [225]
After the death of Molossus, the royal line of Epirus was succeeded by Pierus, son of Neoptolemus, who lived in Hellopia, and his descendants ruled Epirus for generations. [226]
7.2 The end of Myrmidons
In the 2nd century BC, Epirus, home to descendants of the Myrmidons, sided with Perseus in a battle between Rome and Perseus of Macedonia.
In 167 BC, the Roman army led by consul Aemilius Paullus sacked 70 towns of Epirus and sold its 150,000 inhabitants into slavery. Most of those towns were Molossian towns. [227]
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