1 Introduction
The island of Lemnos is named after a goddess and was formerly called Aethalia. [1]
In the 5th century BC, Hephaestia and Myrina were located in Lemnos. [2]
However, during the Bronze Age, there were no towns on Lemnos that survived in legend.
2 Migration from Crete
In 1431 BC, the Idaean Dactyls and Cabeiri migrated to Lemnos from the Troad. [3]
The Idaean Dactyls migrated to the island to explore for minerals, and Cabeiri to spread their faith.
They are thought to have migrated to Troad from Aptera in Crete with the Telchines led by Teucrus (or Teucer, Teukros), son of Ida (or Idothea), in 1435 BC. [4]
The Idaean Dactyls and Cabeiri belonged to the Telchines. [5]
3 Migration from Thessaly
In 1390 BC, the Pelasgians who lived in Thessaly were chased by Aeolis and migrated to various places. Some of the Pelasgians migrated from Thessaly to Lemnos and Imbros. [6]
3.1 Migration from Lemnos to Lydia
Then some of the Pelasgians from Lemnos and Imbros migrated to the mainland under the leadership of Manes, son of Silenus, and settled in Lydia. [7]
They changed their name from Pelasgians to Maeonians.
3.2 Migration from Lydia to Lemnos
In 1318 BC, Hittite king Mursili II conquered Arzawa, including Lydia. [8]
The Maeonians, led by Atys' son Tyrrhenus, migrated from Lydia to the west coast of the Italian peninsula. [9]
However, there is a time lag of about 18 years in Tyrrhenus' migration.
As shown below, the Italian peninsula and Lemnos had a deep relationship, and it is assumed that Tyrrhenus moved to the Italian peninsula after settling in Lemnos.
1) The island (present-day Elba) of the Tyrrhenia Sea was called Aethalia, the same as the ancient name of Lemnos. [10]
2) There were four labyrinths in the ancient world, and in addition to Egypt and Crete, there were labyrinths in Lemnos and Etruria. [11]
3) Lemnos was also called Tyrhenia. [12]
3.3 Migration from Lemnos to Italy
In 1300 BC, Tyrrhenus, son of Atys, migrated with the Maeonians to the west coast of the Italian peninsula. [13]
They were presumably accompanied by the Idaean Dactyls, who lived in Lemnos.
The Idaean Dactyls crossed into Aethalia in the Tyrrhenian Sea and discovered copper mines. [14]
The island's mines also produced iron ore after the copper was exhausted. [15]
4 Migration from Naxos
In 1256 BC, Thoas, son of Ariadne, emigrated from Naxos to Lemnos. [16]
Thoas had a daughter, Hypsipyle. [17]
There is a legend in Lemnos that the women killed all the men, and Hypsipyle was the only one who saved her father Thoas. [18]
Hypsipyle lost both parents at a young age, and their deaths are believed to have been caused by a plague that broke out in Lemnos.
The 5th century BC historian Thucydides tells us that Lemnos was the site of a large-scale plague disaster that was passed down through the generations. [19]
5 Migration to Peloponnesus
In 1250 BC, Hypsipyle, an orphan, joined the expedition of Oenarus, a priest of Dionysus from Naxos, and his wife Ariadne, along with the followers of Dionysus from Lemnos. [20]
Ariadne, daughter of Minos, was Hypsipyle's grandmother. [21]
Hypsipyle was adopted by Ariadne's son Phliasus, who also participated in the expedition, and lived in Phlius. [22]
Hypsipyle was married off to Pronax, son of Talaus, who lived in Nemea. [23]
6 Migration from Thessaly
6.1 Island of the Minyans
In 1236 BC, the Minyans who lived in Iolcus rebelled. [24]
The Minyans were expelled from Thessaly and emigrated to Lemnos and Imbros. [25]
The name Minyans became synonymous with the participants of the Argonauts' expedition. [26]
Lemnos was located on the shortest route between Thessaly and Colchis, where the Argonauts had made their expedition.
Lemnos became an island of the Minyans.
6.2 Origin of the Minyans
When Neleus, son of Cretheus, married Chloris, daughter of Amphion, from Orchomenus in Boeotia, many Minyans emigrated to Eleia. [27]
Similarly, many Minyans emigrated to Iolcus and the surrounding towns with the brides who came from Orchomenus to Thessaly. [28]
The following marriages took place from Orchomenus to Thessaly:
1) 1317 BC, Clymene, daughter of Minyas, married to Phylacus, who lived in Phylace. [29]
2) 1301 BC, Periclymene, daughter of Minyas, married to Pheres, who lived in Pherae. [30]
3) 1299 BC, Phylomache, daughter of Amphion, son of Iasius, married to Pelias, son of Cretheus, who lived in Iolcus. [31]
4) 1291 BC, Alcimede, daughter of Clymene, daughter of Minyas, married to Aeson, son of Hippocoon, who lived in Aesonis (or Aeson). [32]
7 Migration from Dryopia
In 1230 BC, Dryopes (or Dryopians), who had been defeated in battle by Heracles, migrated from Dryopia to Euboea and Argolis. [34]
At that time, Euphemus, son of Theiodamas (or Theodamas), fled to Lemnos. [35]
Euphemus married Lamache in Lemnos, and had a son, Leukophanes. [36]
8 Migration from Nemea
In 1188 BC, Euneus, son of Hypsipyle, joined the Achaeans' expedition to Troy under Achilles from Nemea in Argolis.
In 1186 BC, the Achaeans were defeated in battle by Ilium and migrated to various places.
Euneus did not return to Peloponnesus, but settled in Lemnos. [37]
Once upon a time, Euneus' grandfather Thoas was the ruler of Lemnos. [38]
Euneus spread the rumor that he was the son of Jason and Hypsipyle in order to subjugate the Minyans who lived in Lemnos at that time. [39]
9 Migration from Athens
In 1115 BC, the Pelasgians were expelled from Athens and emigrated to Lemnos. [40]
9.1 Background of the migration
Earlier, the Pelasgians had been expelled from Boeotia and fled to Athens under the leadership of Agrolas and Hyperbius, who built walls and cultivated the land, but were expelled by the Athenians. [41]
9.2 Sintians
The Pelasgians hated the Athenians and abducted maidens from Brauron in Attica and took them back to Lemnos. [42]
Then the inhabitants of Lemnos were called Sintians, which means "sinesthai" (to harm). [43]
Strabo writes that the Thracians from Thracia crossed over to Lemnos and became known as Sintians. [44]
Strabo seems to have understood this from information he received from Homer and Thucydides.
Homer describes the Sintians as natives of Lemnos. [45]
Thucydides writes that the Sintians lived next to Paeonia. [46]
In fact, it seems that the Pelasgians, who were called Sintians in Lemnos, migrated to the vicinity of Paeonia via the Chalcidice peninsula.
10 Migration to Laconia and Cyzicus
In 1115 BC, the Minyans, who lived in Lemnos, were driven out by the Pelasgians and migrated to Laconia and Cyzicus.[47]
10.1 Herodotus's account
Herodotus reports that the Lacedaemonians accepted the Minyans because they were the descendants of those who had participated in the Argonauts' expedition with the Dioscuri. [48]
The Dioscuri were the brothers of Helen, the mother of Hermione, the mother of Tisamenus, king of the Lacedaemonians at that time. [49]
However, this account by Herodotus seems to be a fabrication for the following reasons:
1) The Argonauts expedition is a fiction. and Dioscuri did not sail.
2) The Minyans are not the descendants of the heroes who appear in the story of the Argonauts' expedition.
3) The legend that the Argonauts left descendants in Lemnos is also a fiction. [50]
10.2 Philonomus
Among the Minyans who emigrated at this time was Philonomus. [51]
Philonomus became a close aide to Tisamenus, and when the Heracleidae returned, he made a secret deal with them and persuaded Tisamenus to emigrate to Achaia. [52]
After Tisamenus' departure, Laconia was given to Eurysthenes and Procles. [53]
Philonomus was entrusted with Amyclae. [54]
10.3 Descendants of Leukophanes
Among the Minyans who migrated from Lemnos to Laconia were the descendants of Leukophanes, son of Euphemus. [55]
The descendants of Leukophanes were accepted by the Lacedaemonians and joined the Theras's migration to settle in Thera. [56]
Battus, son of Polymnestus, a 17th generation descendant of Euphemus, led a colony from Thera to Libya and founded Cyrene. [57]
10.4 Migration to Cyzicus
In 1115 BC, some of the Minyans who lived in Lemnos migrated to Cyzicus in the northwest of the Anatolian peninsula. [58]
The inhabitants of Cyzicus were Doliones, and their ancestors were Pelasgians who lived in Thessaly. [59]
In 1248 BC, a ship of Minyans sojourning in Cyzicus was attacked by the inhabitants of Cyzicus. [60]
The Minyans, who had been driven out of Lemnos, remembered the incident and moved to Cyzicus, where the Doliones, who had attacked their ancestors, lived, and drove them out. [61]
The Doliones, who had been driven out of Cyzicus, moved to Antandros, south of Mount Ida. [62]
11 Migration to Laconia
In 1075 BC, the children born to Pelasgian men and Athenian women migrated from Lemnos to Laconia.[63]
11.1 Herodotus' Account
Herodotus combines the migration of the Minyans in 1115 BC and the migration of the Pelasgians in 1075 BC into a single story. [64]
The former and the latter differ in the following points.
1) The timing of the migration to Laconia
The former occurred before the return of the Heracleidae. [65]
The latter occurred after the return of the Heracleidae. [66]
2) The destination of the migration from Laconia
The former migrated to Thera under the leadership of Theras, son of Autesion. [67]
The latter migrated to Crete and Melos under the leadership of Pollis and Delphus. [68]
Pollis and Delphus were associated with Althaemenes, son of Ceisus, son of Temenus. [69]
11.2 Migration from Laconia to Eleia
Herodotus reports that the Minyans founded six towns in southern Eleia. [70]
However, it was the Pelasgians who drove the Minyans out of Lemnos. [71]
The Pelasgians lived at the foot of Mount Hymettus in Athens and were driven out by the Athenians. [72]
In other words, it is unlikely that the Minyans who fled from Lemnos to Laconia were able to found six towns.
It is likely that the Pelasgians, who fled from Lemnos to Laconia after the Minyans, founded the six towns together with the Helots, who were subordinate to the Dorians. [73]
12 Departure of the Pelasgians
12.1. Attack of Miltiades
In 495 BC, Lemnos was attacked by Miltiades, son of Cimon, tyrant of the Hellespontian Chersonese. [74]
Herodotus reports that the Pelasgians, who had migrated from Athens to Lemnos and had committed a crime, apologized to Athens and asked the Athenians for the island. The Pelasgians then promised to surrender the island if they could reach it in a day on a ship with a north wind. [75]
Miltiades demanded that the inhabitants of Lemnos leave the island. [76]
The inhabitants of Hephaestia complied with Miltiades' demands, but the inhabitants of Myrina resisted Miltiades by closing their gates to them. [77]
In the end, the inhabitants of Myrina also submitted to Miltiades. [78]
Diodorus reports that the inhabitants of the island handed it over to the Miltiades out of fear of Persia. [79]
12.2 Veracity of the story
The promise between the Pelasgians and the Athenians as told by Herodotus seems to be a fabrication for the following reasons:
1) It is unlikely that either side would remember the promise made 620 years ago.
2) The Miltiades set sail from Elaeus in Chersonese, but the north wind would not allow them to reach Lemnos. Lemnos is located to the west-southwest of Elaeus. [80]
3) There is a tradition that the inhabitants of Lemnos abandoned the island out of fear of Persia. [81]
12.3 Migration to Chalcidice
The Pelasgians, who lived in Lemnos, migrated to the Chalcidice peninsula under the leadership of Hermon. [82]
The Pelasgians settled in Cleonae, Olophyxis, Acrothoi, Dium, and Thyssus. [83]
After this, some of the Pelasgians, who had settled in five towns, went to Scyros. [84]
Some of the Pelasgians also migrated to the vicinity of Paeonia.
In 429 BC, the Sintians lived next to the Paeonians. [85]
13 Changes in the inhabitants of Lemnos
In 1431 BC, the Telchines became the first inhabitants of Lemnos.
In 1390 BC, the Pelasgians migrated from Thessaly and lived together with the Telchines.
Later, some of the Pelasgians migrated to the mainland, while Maeonians and Cretans temporarily settled on Lemnos.
In 1236 BC, the Minyans migrated from Thessaly, and Lemnos became an island of the Minyans.
In 1115 BC, the Pelasgians migrated from Athens, and expelled the Minyans from the island.
In 495 BC, the Miltiades expelled the Pelasgians from the island, and Lemnos became an island of the Athenians.
14 The stele of Kaminia
The stele with characters similar to the Etruscan Alphabet was discovered in Lemnos towards the end of the 19th century. The stele was called the stele of Kaminia, and I speculate on the creator of this stele.
14.1 Pelasgians who migrated from Athens
The Pelasgians who came from Athens in 1115 BC became residents of Lemnos in the following way:
In 1560 BC, the Pelasgians, led by Larisa, daughter of Pelasgus, son of Triopas, migrated from Argos to Thessaly. [86]
In 1390 BC, some of the Pelasgians who lived in Thessaly migrated to the Italian peninsula. [87]
In 1300 BC, some of the Pelasgians who lived in the Italian peninsula migrated to Sicily. [88]
In 1240 BC, the Pelasgians who lived in Sicily migrated to Acarnania. [89]
In 1188 BC, the Pelasgians who lived in Acarnania migrated to Boeotia and settled in Coroneia. [90]
In 1126 BC, the Pelasgians who lived in Boeotia migrated to Athens. [91]
In 1115 BC, the Pelasgians who lived in Athens migrated to Lemnos. [92]
In other words, their ancestors lived in the Italian peninsula for 90 years from 1390 BC, but were chased by Tyrrhenus, the ancestor of the Tyrrhenians. Their ancestors were unable to learn the Etruscan language.
Many traditions call the people who migrated from Athens to Lemnos the Tyrrhenians. [93]
14.2 Migration of the Tyrrhenians from Italy
The situation in Lemnos from 1075 BC to around 500 BC is unclear.
However, there is no doubt that Lemnos was called Tyrrhenia during this period.
The Pelasgians who migrated from Athens to Lemnos were people who were driven out of Italy by the Maeonians, who were called Tyrrhenians before, and were not Tyrrhenians.
The Maeonians (Pelasgians) who migrated from Lemnos to the west coast of the Italian peninsula with Tyrrhenus, the son of Atys, in 1300 BC came to be called Tyrrhenians. [94]
It is believed that there were Tyrrhenians who migrated from the west coast of the Italian peninsula to Lemnos between 1300 BC and around 500 BC.
After their name, the island came to be called Tyrrhenia, and the inhabitants of the island came to be called Tyrrhenians.
14.3 Creator of the stele
The creator of the stele of Kaminia is presumed to have been Tyrrhenians who migrated directly from Italy to Lemnos, rather than Pelasgians who migrated from Athens to Lemnos via various places.
After the death of Tyrrhenus, no strong leader emerged. Some Tyrrhenians were driven out of their towns by neighboring tribes and became pirates. [95]
It is believed that some of them migrated to Lemnos, the island where their ancestors had lived.
Lemnos, located at the entrance to the Hellespontos, was an ideal base for pirates.
It is believed that the Tyrrhenians migrated from Italy to the island of Lemnos after the 9th century BC.
Around that time, maritime trade in Asia Minor became active, and port fees began to be collected.[96]
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