1 Introduction
The person buried wearing the "Mask of Agamemnon" discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in the ruins of Mycenae in 1876 is believed to be Messapus, the ninth king of Sicyon.
At the time, Argos was called Phoroneus and Sicyon was called Aegialeia, but for ease of understanding, I will use their renamed names.
2 Lineage of the Kings of Sicyon
2.1 Messapus, the ninth king of Sicyon
Pausanias, a travel writer from the 2nd century AD, and Castor, a chronicler from the 2nd century BC, provide the genealogy of the kings of Sicyon. [1]
Pausanias generally refers to the genealogy of the kings of Sicyon written by Castor.
However, Pausanias writes the genealogy from the 7th king Thurimachus to the 10th king Peratus (or Eratus) while referring to other historical sources.
Pausanias writes that Leucippus, son of Thurimachus, had no sons, and was succeeded by Peratus, son of his daughter Calchinia. [2]
However, in Castor's list of the kings of Sicyon, Messapus comes after Leucippus, and Eratus comes after Messapus. [3]
This suggests that Messapus was Calchinia's husband and Peratus' father.
2.2 Daughter of Thurimachus, the 7th king of Sicyon
The 2nd century AD writer Apollodoros reports that Argus, son of Agenor, known as the All-seeing, married Ismene, daughter of the river god Asopus. [4]
At the time of their marriage, the king of Sicyon, where the river Asopus flows, was Thurimachus, son of Aegydrus (or Aegyrus). [5]
In other words, it is assumed that Ismene's father, the river god Asopus, was Thurimachus, and Ismene was his daughter. [6]
2.3 Father of Messapus
Messapus, the 9th king, appears to have succeeded his father-in-law as the husband of Calchinia, daughter of Leucippus, the 8th king.
However, it is assumed that Messapus himself was of the same bloodline as the kings of Sicyon.
Thus, Messapus was likely the son of Ismene, the daughter of Thurimachus, the seventh king.
Therefore, it is assumed that Messapus' father was Argus, the son of Agenor.
3 Sicyon and Argos
3.1 Usurpation
In 1750 BC, Phoroneus and Aegialeus, the sons of Inachus, founded Argos and Sicyon. [7]
The 5th century AD historian Orosius reports that during the time of Phoroneus, king of Argos, Phoroneus and the Parrhasians fought against the Telchines and the Caryatii. [8]
The Telchines are presumed to be a tribe whose ancestor was Telchin (or Telchis), the third king of Sicyon, as described by Castor. [9]
Pausanias writes that Telchin was the son of Europs, the second king of Sicyon, but if that were the case, the name Telchines would not have been a tribe.
Since Phoroneus also had a son named Europs, it is presumed that: [10]
The first king of Sicyon, Aegialeus, had no heir, so Aegialeus' brother Phoroneus appointed his son Europs as the second king of Sicyon.
Telchin, a powerful man of Sicyon, rebelled against this measure and led his Telchines in battle, defeating Phoroneus and becoming the third king of Sicyon.[11]
3.2 Apis' Rule over Sicyon
Apis, the son of Phoroneus, attacked Sicyon and placed it under the control of Argos. [12]
In Castor's list, Apis is listed as the third king of Argos and the fourth king of Sicyon. [13]
Apis was the brother of Europs, the second king of Sicyon.
After Apis, a descendant of Inachus, ruled Sicyon for 25 years, it was again ruled by the Telchines. [14]
3.3 Emigration to Crete
After losing the battle between Apis and Telchine, Telchine's son Cres emigrated to Crete. [15]
The Telchines, led by Cres, were called Eteocretans in Crete, and Cres became their king. [16]
The Idaean Dactyls who discovered iron on Crete were the Telchines, a race with knowledge of metalworking.[17]
3.4 Trade between Crete and Sicyon
In 1665 BC, Sicyon became independent from the rule of Argos. [18]
After that, trade between Sicyon and Telchines in Crete began.
Mycenae was located at a strategic point connecting the Gulf of Argolis with Sicyon.
It is estimated that Mycenae was founded when Argos and Sicyon were founded in 1750 BC.
4 The Rise of Mycenae
4.1 Internal conflict in Argos
In 1600 BC, conflict arose among the descendants of Argus, son of Niobe, who lived in Argos.
Phorbas, son of Criasus, son of Argus, usurped the throne from Triops, son of Peirasus, son of Argus. [19]
Argus, son of Agenor, son of Ecbasus, son of Argus, who sided with Triops, emigrated to Mycenae, where the town came to be called Argion. [20]
Argus was called many-eyed, or All-seeing, and was a man of great foresight. [21]
4.2 Relationship by marriage with Mycenae
Argus married Ismene, daughter of Thurimachus, the seventh king of Sicyon. [22]
Argus' son Messapus married Calchinia, daughter of Leucippus, the eighth king of Sicyon. [23]
After Leucippus died, Messapus became the ninth king of Sicyon and ruled Sicyon while living in Mycenae. [24]
4.3 Battle with Argos
In 1560 BC, Argus' son Messapus attacked Argos, and Telchines, who lived in Sicyon, joined the attack.
The Pelasgians who lived in Argos migrated to various places. [25]
After this battle, Mycenae came to control most of the people living in the Peloponnesus Peninsula, except for the Pelasgians who lived in Arcadia.
Sicyon is also believed to have developed through marriage ties with Mycenae.
5 Agamemnon's Mask
5.1 Person buried wearing the mask
In 1560 BC, Messapus, king of Mycenae, also king of Sicyon, became a Great King with king of Argos in tow. Messapus is presumed to be the person buried wearing the "Mask of Agamemnon" excavated from the ruins of Mycenae.
5.2 Mask maker
The mask was made by Telchines, an Idaean Dactyls who was a mining engineer and metalworking engineer. [26]
The Telchines were the race that gave their name to Rhodes, and were known as the children of the sea and were skilled in navigation. [27]
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