1 Introduction
Evidence of human habitation remains throughout Stone Age Greece, but it is unclear whether these people spoke Greek.
The ancestors of the ancient Greeks long lived along the headwaters of the Cephisus River, which flows from west to east along the north side of Mount Parnassus. The Cephisus River was described as a sacred river by the ancient Greeks, and as their settlements expanded, rivers flowing through it were given the same name. The Cephisus River is found in the cities of Sicyon, Argos, Athens, and Eleusis, as well as on the islands of Salamis and Scyros. [1]
The genealogy of the ancient Greeks allows us to trace their movements back to a period shortly before the great flood of the Cephisus River in 1750 BC. The earliest known Greek name is that of Cleopompus and his wife Cleodora. Parnassus, son of Cleopompus, founded a city by congregating the scattered people. Parnassus is said to have invented divination based on the flight of birds. This may be related to the Dodona priestess's prophecies based on the flight of doves. [2]
Parnassus's name became the name of the mountain towering behind Delphi. The name and exact location of the city he founded are unknown.
2 Great Flood in the time of Ogygus
Pausanias records that the town founded by Parnassus was hit by a flood during the reign of Deucalion, and the inhabitants fled to Mount Parnassus and founded a new town, Lycoreia. [3]
However, this flood occurred during the time of Ogygus, not Deucalion.
2.1 Dating the flood in the time of Ogygus Flood
Castor of Rhodes, a 2nd-century BC chronicler, reports that 190 years passed between the Ogygus flood and the first king of Athens, Cecrops. [4]
Calculating backward from Castor's records of the reigns of the Athenian kings, Cecrops' accession dated 1561 BC, placing the Ogygus flood around 1750 BC. [5]
The 5th-century AD theologian Jerome's chronicles date the flood during the time of Ogygus to 1757 BC. [6]
The 6th-century BC mythologist Acusilaus states that Ogygus preceded the first Olympiad by 1,020 years, a date generally consistent with Castor and Jerome's. [7]
2.2 Dating of the Flood in the time of Deucalion
Coincidentally, two different Deucalions occurred during the Bronze Age.
1) Age of Deucalion, Father of Hellen
In 1511 BC, while Deucalion, father of Hellen, was living in Thessaly, a major earthquake dammed the river, causing a major flood. [8]
2) Age of Deucalion, Father of Amphictyon
In 1390 BC, during the reign of Deucalion, father of Amphictyon who invaded Thessaly and drove out the Pelasgians, a major tsunami occurred in the Aegean Sea. [9]
The first Deucalion also had a son named Amphictyon, who appears in legends confused with the second Deucalion. [10]
3 Migration to various places
Many people migrated from the flooded Cephisus River to various places in search of new lands.
The Delphians migrated to Mount Parnassus, Ogygus to the vicinity of Lake Copais, and the sons of Inachus to the Peloponnesus Peninsula.
3.1 Migration of the Delphians
People who fled from the Cephisus River to Mount Parnassus founded a town. The leader's name is unknown, but his wife was named Corycia. Their son was named Lycorus, and the town was named Lycoreia after him. Lycorus had a son, Hyamus, who had a daughter, Celaeno, who had a son, Delphus. A town was later founded in a magnificent location and named Delphi after this son. [11]
Delphus had a son, Pythes, after whom Delphi was also called Pytho. [12]
Delphi was founded during the fifth generation after the Flood, estimated to be around 1650 BC.
3.2 Migration of Ogygus
3.2.1 Settlement in Boeotia
Ogygus, along with Ectenes, traveled down the Cephisus River and settled southeast of Lake Copais. The Ectenes inhabited the area from Aulis in the east to Alalcomenae in the west. [13]
The oldest northern gate of Thebes bears the name of Ogygus. [14]
Ogygus' son, Eleusis, migrated further south and founded Eleusis near the mouth of a river that flows into the Saronic Gulf. The river was named Cephisus. [15]
3.2.2 Great Migration from Boeotia
In 1580 BC, the Ectenes migrated from near Lake Copais due to pressure from other tribes, including the Hyantes. [16]
The inhabitants of Boeotia, previously called Ectenes, became known as Hyantes. [17]
3.2.2.1 Migration to Attica
The Ectenes who migrated to Attica lived scattered across northeastern Attica.
Approximately 115 years after this migration, Xuthus, the husband of Creusa, daughter of Erichthonius, the fourth king of Athens, gathered people from the surrounding area and founded four towns: Oenoe, Marathon, Probalinthus, and Tricorynthus. [18]
3.2.2.2 Migration to Thessaly
A group led by the grandfather of Hellen's father, Deucalion, migrated to Thessaly. [19]
Later, Hellen's brother, Amphictyon, and Hellen's son, Xuthus, married the daughter of the king of Athens.
It is believed that Deucalion's grandfather and the grandfather of Cranaus, the second king of Athens, were brothers. [20]
Deucalion lived near the source of the Enipeus River, which flows from the south into the Peneius River in northern Thessaly. He founded Pyrrha (later Melitaea). [21]
In 1560 BC, during the reign of Deucalion's father, Larisa and her family immigrated to Thessaly from Argos on the Peloponnesus Peninsula. During the reign of Haemon, son of Larisa's son Pelasgus, Thessaly was called Haemonia, and the area where Deucalion's son Hellen lived was called Hellas. [22]
Deucalion's son Hellen established a town called Hellas across the Enipeus River, but it was hit by a great flood. [23]
This flood is known as the "Flood of the time of Deucalion." A major earthquake in northern Thessaly caused the collapse of mountains and the uplift of land. A vast swamp flowed into the Peneius River, flooding the area upstream. [24] This flood occurred in 1511 BC, the year that Cranaus succeeded the first king of Athens, Cecrops. [25]
3.2.2.3 Migration to Egypt
Cranaus' grandfather, possibly the father of Cecrops, the first king of Athens, migrated to the Nile Delta in Egypt and founded Sais. [26]
Cecrops is believed to have been 16 years old at the time of his migration.
Cecrops was nicknamed Diphyes, meaning "two-formed," because he spoke Greek and another language. [27]
Cecrops is said to have founded the cities of Eleusis and Athens on the Triton River in Boeotia, suggesting that he had ties to the region. [28]
Cecrops' father also had a brother named Ogygus, who founded Thebes in Egypt. [29]
Thebes, where Cadmus was later born, is believed to have been in the Nile Delta. [30]
3.3 Migration of the Sons of Inachus
The people led by Inachus' two sons, Aegialeus and Phoroneus, migrated to the Peloponnesus Peninsula. [31]
Some traditions state that the great flood of the time of Ogygus occurred during the reign of Inachus' son, Phoroneus. [32]
Aegialeus settled the coastal area just inside the Peloponnesus Peninsula and founded Aegialeia (later Sicyon). [33]
Phoroneus traveled further south and settled on the edge of the plain. He gathered the scattered people and founded Phoroneus (later Argos). [34]
Mycene, named after Inachus' daughter, is also thought to have been founded around the same time as Phoroneus. [35]
Mycenae was located at a strategic point between Sicyon and Argos.
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