1 Introduction
1.1 Historical events
Another theory is that the Dorians, led by the Heracleidae (descendants of Heracles), invaded Peloponnesus and expelled the previous inhabitants, a story created in later times.
However, the 5th century BC historian Herodotus writes that Heracleidae attempted to return to Peloponnesus and Heracles' son Hyllus was killed in battle. [1]
Herodotus also states that the Dorians moved from Dryopis to Peloponnesus and drove out the inhabitants of Peloponnesus except the Arcadians. [2]
The 5th century BC historian Thucydides writes that 80 years after the fall of Troy, the Dorians and Heracleidae occupied Peloponnesus. [3]
The 4th century BC orator Isocrates states that the Dorians invaded Peloponnesus, took land from its rightful owners, and divided it into three parts. [4]
Ephorus of Cyme, a disciple of Isocrates, begins his historical writing by telling the events that occurred after the return of the Heracleidae, passing through the old mythological stories. [5]
Ephorus, in the first volume of his "History", records the return of the Heracleidae to Peloponnesus. [6]
In other words, ancient historians recognized the return of the Heracleidae as a historical event.
1.2 Change from "invasion" to "return"
The 2nd century BC historian Polybius describes it as an "invasion of the Heracleidae". [7]
However, ancient historians after Polybius use the phrase "return of the Heracleidae (Heraclids)".
The 1st century BC historian Diodorus, 10 times.
The 1st century AD geographer Strabo, 12 times.
The 2nd century AD travel writer Pausanias, 9 times.
The 2nd century AD writer Apollodoros once.
The 2nd century AD orator Aelius Aristides once.
The 2nd century AD satirist Lucian of Samosata (in Syria) once.
The 4th century AD historian Eusebius 4 times.
The early 2nd century AD writer Plutarch and the 2nd century AD orator Dio Chrysostom state that Dorians and Heracleidae migrated to Peloponnesus. [8]
2 Relationship between Heracles and Eurystheus
2.1 Good relationship
Heracles' father Amphitryon, who ruled over Tiryns in Argolis, moved to Thebes at the invitation of Sparti of Thebes (probably his grandfather Menoeceus). [9]
Heracles was born in 1275 BC and won a battle with Erginus, king of the Minyans, making his name well known. [10]
Eurystheus, son of Sthenelus, brother of Amphitryon's father Alcaeus, was born in the same year as Heracles and was king of Mycenae in Argolis. [11]
Eurystheus summons Heracles to his father's old territory of Tiryns and forces him to attack Augeas of Elis, but the battle is unsuccessful, and Heracles loses his half-brother Iphicles. [12]
Heracles attacked and killed the Augean generals Cteatus and Eurytus. [13]
Elis asked Eurystheus to hand over Heracles, and Eurystheus ordered Heracles to leave Tiryns. [14]
2.2 Changes in relationships
Heracles relocated to Pheneus in Arcadia and increased his power by allying the Arcadians in the war against the Centaurs. Heracles then captured Elis, Pylus, Sparta, and Amyclae in quick succession. Heracles gained influence over almost all of the Peloponnesus peninsula outside of Eurystheus' control. [15]
Eurystheus became alarmed by this expansion of Heracles' power, and through his wife's grandfather, Lycurgus, king of Arcadia, ordered Heracles to leave Pheneus. Heracles settled in Calydon of Aetolia, north of Peloponnesus across the sea. [16]
He was also active in repelling the attacking Achelous at Calydon, and also in defeating Ephyra in Thesprotia. [17]
However, Calydon only lived there for three years before moving to Trachis in Thessaly (17 km south of Lamia, modern-day Iraklia), ruled by his close friend Ceyx. [18]
3 The battle between Eurystheus and Heracleidae
3.1 Emigration from Trachis to Athens
In 1223 BC, Heracles died. Later, as Hyllus and other sons of Heracles came of age, Eurystheus, king of Mycenae, began to feel threatened by them. [19]
Eurystheus threatened Ceyx that if he did not get rid of the children of Heracles, he would resort to force. [20]
The orator Aelius Aristides of the 2nd century AD reports that Eurystheus was extremely powerful at the time. [21]
Ceyx sent the children of Heracles out of Trachis. [22]
Heracles' children were accepted into Athens. Heracleidae lived in Tricorythus (or Trikorynthos), 5 km northeast of Marathon. [23]
Tricorythus, along with nearby Marathon, were wetlands. [24]
Iope, one of the wives of Theseus, king of Athens, was the sister of Iolaus, the guardian of Heracles' children, and Theseus and Iolaus were brothers-in-law. Additionally, Theseus and Heracles both had Pelops as their great-grandfathers, and Theseus seems to have been accepted because he respected Heracles. [25]
At that time, in Thebes, the hometown of Heracles and Iolaus, their relative Creon was in charge. The reason why the Heracleidae did not choose Thebes as their migration destination may have been because Heracles divorced Creon's daughter Megara. [26]
3.2 Death of Eurystheus
In 1217 BC, Eurystheus himself led a large army to invade Athens. The Heracleidae fought against Eurystheus, with Iolaus as their commander, and with the aid of Theseus, king of Athens. Eurystheus and his five sons, Alexander, Iphimedon, Eurybius, Mentor, and Perimedes, were killed in battle. [27]
Hyllus was on his first battle, but Iolaus, who was estimated to be 50 years old at the time, was a seasoned warrior who had accompanied his uncle Heracles on many campaigns.
Iolaus severed Eurystheus' head and buried it in Tricorynthus. [28]
This may be an expression of Iolaus's hatred of Eurystheus, who had been driven from his safe haven many times. [29]
4 First return
In 1215 BC, the Heracleidae entered the Peloponnesus peninsula by land through the Isthmus of Corinth, with Hyllus as their commander, after a battle with Eurystheus. [30]
The Heracleidae settled in Mideia, where Heracles' mother Alcmena and her brother Licymnius spent their childhood. [31]
The return at this time did not cover the entire Peloponnesus Peninsula. After the death of Eurystheus, he entered Argolis, which was in short supply, but was unable to enter the walled Argos and Mycenae.
The following year, Hyllus decided to withdraw.
There is also a legend that the reason for the retreat was the outbreak of a bad plague. [32]
In reality, it is thought that this was because they were surrounded by enemies, lacked food supplies, and were afraid of Mycenae, which was gradually regaining its power with the power of enormous wealth.
Alternatively, it may have been due to discord within the Heracleidae.
After the withdrawal of the Heracleidae from Peloponnesus, Tlepolemus, the son of Heracles, and Licymnius, the brother of Heracles' mother Alcmena, remained in Mideia. [33]
But Licymnius died, and Tlepolemus set sail from the coast of Lerna for Rhodes, leading those who wished to emigrate from his father's old province of Tiryns. [34]
At the time of the retreat of the Heracleidae, Heracles' mother Alcmena died near the Olympieum in Megara. She is estimated to have passed away at the age of 78. [35]
Alcmena was buried beside the tomb of Rhadamanthys at Hariartos, halfway between Orchomenus and Thebes in Boeotia. [36]
5 Second return
In 1211 BC, the Heracleidae, with Hyllus as their commander, once again attempted to advance overland into Peloponnesus through the Isthmus of Corinth.
After the death of Eurystheus, Atreus, who had succeeded to the throne of Mycenae, met Tegeatans, Achaeans, and Ionians at Isthmus, and the two armies faced each other. [37]
The Achaeans were the inhabitants of Lacedaemon and Argolis under the rule of Tyndareus.
At this time, Hyllus is said to have engaged in single combat with Echemus of Tegea, and was defeated and died. [38]
However, in reality, it seems to be a historical fact that there was a fierce battle, in which the commander-in-chief Hyllus was killed and the Heracleidae were defeated.
Pausanias writes that Hyllus' body was buried in Megara. [39]
This seems to be a fabricated story tailored to the location of the battle. The body of Alcmena, who died some time ago in the same Megara, is buried in Boeotia. [40]
It is likely that the Heracleidae lost the battle and fled, leaving behind the bodies of their dead.
In this battle, the Athenians who sided with the Heracleidae and participated in the expedition were also killed, and the Heracleidae were no longer able to continue living in Tricorythus.
Heracleidae went to Aegimius of Doris, who gave him land and inhabitants. [41]
At this time, some Heracleidae did not go to Doris, but remained in Attica.
Antiochus, the son of Heracles and Meda, the daughter of Phylas, remained and became one of the eponyms of Athens. [42]
Macaria, daughter of Heracles and Deianeira, married Demophon (or Demophoon), son of Theseus, and bore Oxyntes, the 13th king of Athens. [43]
6 Third return
6.1 Description of Pausanias
There are no ancient sources that record a third return of the Heracleidae.
Only the 2nd century AD geographer Pausanias gives his clues in his description of Messenia. Pausanias writes, "When Hyllus and the Dorians were defeated by the Achaeans, it is said that Abia, nurse of Glenus, the son of Heracles, fled to the city of Ire, where she settled." [44]
There were no Dorians in the expeditionary force led by Hyllus.
Hyllus led the Heracleidae before going to the land of the Dorians.
Even if the Dorians were included in the expeditionary force led by Hyllus, they were not defeated by the Achaeans the first time, and they did not enter Peloponnesus the second time.
In other words, Pausanias' account is not an account of Hyllus's first or second expedition.
6.2 Cleodaeus, son of Hyllus
If Hyllus in Pausanias' description is Cleodaeus, the son of Hyllus, the description would be understandable. Cleodaeus, son of Hyllus, appears to have led an expeditionary force in which the nurse of Glenus (or Gleneus), who was born shortly before Heracles' death, was able to join. There is a mausoleum of Cleodaeus in Sparta, and he is thought to have been a man of some kind. [45]
After the death of Hyllus, his son Cleodaeus lived in Pindus in Doris and became king of the Hylleis, one of the three tribes of the Dorians. [46]
6.3 Expedition of Cleodaeus
In 1173 BC, Agamemnon, grandson of Atreus of Mycenae, died. [47]
Cleodaeus led the Dorians into Peloponnesus, attacked Mycenae, and destroyed the city. [48]
Recent archaeological research has confirmed traces of destruction in Mycenae in the 12th century BC. [49]
Cleodaeus also destroyed Tiryns and Midea and occupied Argos. [49-1]
Agamemnon's successor, his son Orestes, emigrated from Mycenae to Tegea in Arcadia. [49-2]
Orestes then assembled an army and expelled the Dorians who had occupied Argos.
Cleodaeus appears to have returned safely to Pindus of Doris, and afterwards a son, Aristomachus, was born to him. [49-3]
6.4 Eldest son of Cleodaeus
However, some people, including Cleodaeus' eldest son, were unable to return to Doris and remained in Peloponnesus. They fled to Ire of Messenia and settled there.
When Heracleidae made their final return, their first destination was Messenia, probably in part to rendezvous with their remaining brethren. [49-4]
Polyphontes, the 'True' Heracleidae, who rebelled against Cresphontes, son of Aristomachus, who later captured Messenia, is likely the son or grandson of Cleodaeus' eldest son. [49-5]
'True' probably meant the rightful heir of Cleodaeus, son of Hyllus, son of Heracles.
A genealogy shows that the age difference between Cleodaeus and Aristomachus is 50 years, suggesting that Aristomachus had several older brothers. [49-6]
7 Fourth return
The following descriptions in ancient historical materials suggest that there was a fourth return.
1) In the time of Tisamenus, son of Orestes, the Heracleidae attempted to return and Aristomachus died. [50]
2) Aristomachus, son of Cleodaeus, misinterpreted the oracle and failed to return to Peloponnesus. [51]
3) Sixty years after the Trojan War, around the time of the return of the Heracleidae, Penthilus made an expedition to Asia Minor. [52]
Sixty years after the Trojan War, Penthilus, the son of Orestes, Cleues, the son of Dorus, and Malaus colonized Asia Minor. At this time, the expedition of Cleues and Malaus crossed the sea behind Penthilus, spending a long time near Mount Locris and Phricium. [53]
Cleues and Malaus were great-grandsons of Agamemnon and relatives of Tisamenus, son of Orestes, the greatest enemy of the Heracleidae. It is assumed that they were aware of Aristomachus' movements and were watching the developments. [54]
At that time, the habitats of Aristomachus and others Heracleidae and those of Malaus and others were in the immediate vicinity, but more than 100 km in a straight line from Aulis, where Penthilus departed.
The great-grandsons of Agamemnon led a group of immigrants to Asia Minor at the same time that the Boeotians from Arne of Thessaly returned to Boeotia. [55]
According to Thucydides, the return of the Boeotians occurred in the 60th year after the fall of Troy. [56]
The return of the Boeotians also led to the migration of the Cadmeans, who had lived in Thebes since the Cadmus era. They migrated to Aristomachus, who lived in Doris, led by Autesion, son of Tisamenus. [57]
The migration of the Cadmeans, led by Autesion, was probably the direct cause of Aristomachus' decision to launch an expedition to Peloponnesus.
Therefore, 60 years after the Trojan War, there was an expedition of the Heracleidae to the Peloponnesus peninsula, led by Aristomachus, son of Cleodaeus.
In 1126 BC, the Heracleidae, led by Aristomachus, made a fourth attempt to return to Peloponnesus, but failed.
8 Estimated year of fifth return
8.1 Year of accession of Melanthus to the throne of Athens
Important in estimating the year of the fifth return to Peloponnesus is the year in which Melanthus, exiled to the Heracleidae, emigrated from Messenia to Athens. [58]
Melanthus ascended to the throne of Athens in 1132 BC, if we believe the years of reign of the Athenian kings recorded in the chronicles of the 4th century AD historian Eusebius. [59]
If the fifth return occurred around this time, it would have been 54 years after the fall of Troy.
The 2nd century BC grammarian Apollodorus of Athens, the 1st century BC chronicler Castor of Rhodes, and the 5th century BC historian Thucydides date the return of the Heracleidae 80 years after the fall of Troy. [60]
This is a difference of 26 years from the year Melanthus became king of Athens.
Eusebius, quoting from Castor, gives the total reign of Cecrops, the first Athenian king, to Thymoetes, the fifteenth king, as 450 years. However, the total reign period of the kings was 429 years, which is a difference of 21 years from the total. [61]
The 21 years are estimated to have been Melanthus's reign as king of Messenia.
According to Castor, the reigns of Thymoetes and Melanthus as kings of Athens lasted eight and thirty-seven years. The actual reign as king of Athens appears to have been 29 years for Thymoetes and 16 years for Melanthus.
Therefore, Melanthus ascended to the throne of Athens in 1111 BC.
8.2 Estimation of birth and death years of Heracleidae
Based on the year of accession of Melanthus, the birth and death years of the main Heracleidae are estimated as follows.
Aristomachus, son of Cleodaeus (1176 - 1126 BC) (64)
Temenus, son of Aristomachus (1146 BC - ?) 34
Ceisus, son of Temenus, son of Aristomachus (1127 BC - ?) 15
Phalces, son of Temenus, son of Aristomachus (1125 BC - ?) 13
Cresphontes, son of Aristomachus (1136 BC - ?) 24
Aristodemus, son of Aristomachus (1148 - 1115 BC) (36)
Eurysthenes and Procles, sons of Aristodemus (1116 BC - ?) 4
The numbers are the age at the time of crossing the sea in 1112 BC. Figures in parentheses indicate the age if the person was alive at the time of crossing the sea.
The basis for this estimation is as follows.
1) Aristodemus appears to have been the eldest son of Aristomachus. The sons of Aristodemus appear to have inherited the kingship of Hylleis. [62]
2) The eldest son of Temenus was Ceisus. [63]
3) Temenus had a son Phalces who became ruler of Sicyon. [64]
4) Only Cresphontes was single at the time of their return. [65]
5) Aristodemus had his young sons, Eurysthenes and Procles. [66]
9 5th return (final return)
9.1 Conditions before crossing the sea
According to legend, Temenus discovered Oxylus by chance due to an oracle telling him to use the third-eyed man as a guide. [67]
But Oxylus was the son of Haemon, the son of Thoas, the son of Gorge, the sister of Deianeira, the mother of Hyllus, the father of Cleodaeus, the father of Aristomachus, the father of Temenus. [68]
Oxylus' ancestor was Aetolus, son of Endymion, who migrated from Elis to Aetolia. It seems likely that Temenus did not seek out Oxylus, but Oxylus, who learned of Temenus' expedition and wanted to return to the land of his ancestors, joined the expedition.
Temenus decided to cross the strait from Aetolia and land on the Peloponnesus peninsula, and began building a fleet on the western outskirts of the Ozolian Locris. [69]
The site of construction became a town and became known as Naupactus. [70]
9.2 Death of Aristodemus
Tradition has it that during the preparations for this expedition Temenus' brother Aristodemus was killed at Delphi by Medon and Strophius, cousins of Tisamenus. [71]
However, some legends say that the expeditionary force led by Aristodemus marched through Boeotia before returning to Peloponnesus. [72]
It is assumed that there was an expedition led by Aristodemus before the expedition led by Temenus.
Aristodemus is believed to have been killed by the brothers Medon and Strophius while marching his Boeotian expedition towards the Isthmus of Corinth.
These brothers were the sons of Electra, the daughter of Agamemnon, and Pylades, the son of Strophius, who lived at Cirrha, near Delphi, succeeding his father Pylades. [73]
The brothers likely killed Aristodemus to prevent the Heracleidae from returning to Peloponnesus.
9.3 Sabotage
The prophet Carnus appeared in Naupactus, and Hippotas, son of Phylas, son of Antiochus, son of Heracles, killed him, considering him an enemy. After this event, ships were destroyed and famine struck, the army Temenus had assembled was disbanded, and Temenus sentenced Hippotas to exile for ten years. [74]
The prophet Carnus, who was killed by Hippotas, appears to be the grandson of Alcmaeon, son of Amphiaraus, who migrated from Argos to Acarnania. [75]
Aletes, son of the exiled Hippotas, later rejoined the Heracleidae and became ruler of Corinth. [76]
Hippotas' grandfather Antiochus was the founder of the Antiochis tribe, one of the ten tribes of Athens. [77]
According to the legend, the destruction of the fleet was not caused by the murder of the prophet, but was thought to be due to sabotage by Tisamenus, the son of Orestes.
In 1113 BC, with the fleet rebuilt, Temenus informed his participants that he would begin the expedition the following spring.
9.4 Participants in the expedition
9.4.1 Heracleidae
Besides the sons and grandsons of Aristomachus, son of Cleodaeus, son of Hyllus, there were at least the following Heracleidae in the expeditionary force:
9.4.1.1 Delphontes
Delphontes was the son of Antimachus, son of Thrasyanor, son of Ctesippus, son of Heracles.
Among the sons of Heracles were Ctesippus, whose mother was Deianira, and Ctesippus whose mother was Astydamia, the daughter of Amyntor.
Temenus, who led the Heracleidae, is said to have trusted Delphontes more than his own sons, so Ctesippus' mother is thought to be Deianira. [78]
9.4.1.2 Hegeleos
Hegeleos was a descendant of Tyrrhenus, son of Heracles and Omphale of Lydia. [79]
Hegeleos taught Salpinx to the Dorians. The style of Spartan armies led by pipers seems to have been established upon the return of the Heracleidae. [80]
9.4.2 Dorians
Among Temenus' expeditionary force were many Dorians. Once, in gratitude for Heracles helping Aegimius, king of the Dorians, Aegimius adopted Heracles' eldest son, Hyllus, after Heracles' death. was one of the kings of Hylleis. [81]
The Dorians lived in Thessaly, near Mount Ossa and Mount Olympus, in a region called Histiaeotis, in ancient times during the time of Dorus, son of Hellen, son of Deucalion. They were then chased by a group of immigrants led by Cadmus who moved south from Thrace to Dryopia, between Mount Parnassus and Mount Oeta. [82]
Afterwards, the Dorians who remained in Histiaeotis also came under pressure from the Lapiths and were assisted by Heracles. They were driven out by the Thesprotians who invaded Thessaly, which had been weakened by the Trojan War, and migrated to Dryopia en masse. [83]
The Tetrapolis of the Dorians, who lived in Pindus, Boeum, Kitinium, and Erineum, and were divided into three tribes, Hylleis, Pamphyli, and Dymanes, followed the Heracleidae. [84]
9.4.3 Ionians
The Ionians of Attica, once inhabited by the Heracleidae, also took part in the expedition.
The Ionians likely joined Temenus' army at Naupactus before crossing the Gulf of Corinth. [85]
9.4.4 Lydians
The expeditions of Heracles, the founder of the Heracleidae, were accompanied by Lydians called Kylikranoi. Also present during Temenus' army were their descendants, the Lydians, led by Hegeleos, a descendant of Heracles and Omphale. [86]
9.4.5 Arcadians
Even after Heracles' death, the Arcadians who accompanied Heracles on his expedition remained in Trachis. [87]
Their descendants are thought to have continued to belong to the Heracleidae.
It is assumed that the Heracleidae first went to Arcadia to gain allies from their brethren.
9.4.6 Cadmeans
The Cadmeans, who migrated from Thebes to Doris in 1126 BC under the leadership of Tisamenus' son Autesion, may have also taken part in the expedition. [88]
Theras, son of Autesion, was the guardian of the sons of Aristodemus. [89]
9.5 Crossing situation
In 1112 BC, Temenus departed from Dryopia, leading the Heracleidae and Dorians. [90]
Temenus arrived at Naupactus in the Ozolian Locris, near the border with Aetolia. [91]
From there Temenus, guided by Oxylus, sailed his fleet to the port of Molycrium, a town on the border of Aetolia and Ozolian Locris, and prepared for the crossing. [92]
Temenus' fleet headed from Cape Antirrhium near Molycrium to Cape Rion on the Peloponnesus Peninsula, about 3 km away. [93]
Temenus' fleet landed at Cape Rion in Achaia, despite being intercepted by Tisamenus' ships. [94]
The 2nd century BC historian Polybius tells us that the Locrians had made an agreement with Tisamenus if the Heracleidae bypassed the Isthmus of Corinth and headed for Cape Rion.
The Locrians say that although they knew that the Heracleidae were heading for Cape Rion, they did not inform Tisamenus, so Tisamenus took no precautions. [95]
9.6 March on Arcadia
After landing at Cape Rion, Temenus, guided by Oxylus, headed east along the coast of Achaia, then turned south from Aigeira (or Aigai) and headed for Pheneus in Arcadia. [96]
Achaia's Aegium and Helice were under Mycenae's control even before the Trojan War, but Temenus passed through without incident. Later, the inhabitants of Achaia refused to live together with the Achaeans led by Tisamenus, so it seems that they were not under Mycenae control at that time. [97]
Pheneus was the town where Heracles lived for five years and used it as a base from which to conquer Elis, Pylus, and Sparta. Descendants of the Arcadians from Pheneus, who took part in Heracles' expeditions, may also have taken part in Heracleidae campaigns in large numbers. [98]
In Pheneus, Cypselus, king of Arcadia, was waiting for Temenus, fearing an invasion by the Heracleidae. The Arcadians were, to the Heracleidae, the enemies of Hyllus, the son of Heracles. Cypselus, thinking that Heracleidae would not forgive him, asked Temenus to marry his daughter Merope to Cresphontes. [99]
Temenus allowed his brother Cresphontes to marry Cypselus' daughter Merope on the condition that the Arcadians cooperated in the expedition. [100]
This leniency was due to the fact that the Arcadians were originally a race that cooperated with Heracles and never opposed them. [101]
9.7 Invasion of Messenia
Cleodaeus, son of Hyllus, made a third attempt to return to Peloponnesus, and those defeated by the Achaeans fled to Ire in Messenia and settled there. The Heracleidae likely chose Messenia as their first destination in order to rendezvous with their compatriots who remained on their third expedition. [102]
In 1111 BC, Temenus left Trapezus in Arcadia and entered Messenia. [103]
At that time, Messenia was under the control of Melanthus. [104]
Melanthus was the son of Andrompus, son of Borus (or Penthilus), son of Penthilus (or Borus), son of Neleus' eldest son Periclymenus who died in battle with Heracles. [105]
It is unknown whether there was a battle between Melanthus and the Heracleidae, but Melanthus migrated to Athens. [106]
The descendants of Nestor, namely Alcmaeon, Peisistratus, and the children of Paeon also migrated to Athens. [107]
Alcmaeon became the Alcmaeonidae of Athens, and the children of Paeon became the ancestors of a clan called the Paeonidae. [108]
Peisistratus, a descendant of Peisistratus and son of Hippocrates, became tyrant of Athens in the 6th century BC. [109]
9.8 Why Melanthus moved to Athens
The 12th century AD rhetorician Tzetzes, in his list of Athenian kings beginning with Cecrops, states that "Thymoetes was the father of Melanthus." [110]
Pausanias also notes that both Melanthus' mother and his wife were Athenians. [111]
From these facts, it is assumed that Melanthus' wife was the daughter of Thymoetes.
According to the genealogy, Melanthus was over 50 years old at the time of his emigration, and his son Codrus, who succeeded Melanthus, was over 30 years old. Thymoetes seems to have had his son-in-law succeed him as king of Athens.
Zeuxippus, the father of Armenius, father of Henioche, mother of Melanthus, was the son of Eumelus, who took part in the expedition to Troy from the Pherae of Thessaly.
Thesprotians invaded Thessaly while Eumelus was on an expedition, and the people who lived in Thessaly became their serfs, called penestai, or were forced to leave their homes. [112]
The 4th century BC historian Ephorus states that there was a custom in Athens that "Hellas who wished to emigrate should be welcomed." [113]
The Athenians accepted as immigrants the descendants of Peirithous, son of Ixion, who had fled from the Thesprotians, and assigned them the district of Perithoedae. [114]
It is assumed that Zeuxippus, the son of Eumelus who lived in Pherae, was also accepted by the Athenians and lived in Athens. [115]
In other words, Melanthus chose Athens as the place where his mother and wife were from.
9.9 Argos invasion
In 1110 BC, Temenus rejoined the Arcadians at Trapezus, who had returned after capturing Messenia, and headed through Tegea to Argos.
He entered Argolis, where he fought for the first time against the Achaeans led by Tisamenus. [116]
Tisamenus was defeated and retreated to Argos, where he was besieged. Temenus was located about 6 km south-southeast of Argos, and they built a fort at Temenium near the Argolis Bay and laid siege to Argos. [117]
The Heracleidae used their fleets to capture towns on the coast of Argolis, and the fortress of Temenium was ideal for supplying them by sea. [118]
9.10 Entered Argos
Like Mycenae and Tiryns, Argos had walls, and sieges were long. [119]
In those days, when there were no siege weapons, there was no other way to capture a walled town other than by raiding for food.
While the battle with Tisamenus reached a stalemate, Temenus sent his son Phalces to lead part of his army in the capture of Sicyon. Lacestades, king of Sicyon, was the son of Hippolytus, son of Rhopalus, son of Phaestus, son of Heracles, and was one of the Heracleidae, so they decided to rule together without fighting. However, Phaestus is unlikely to be the son of Heracles, as he was neither chased out by the Mycenaeans nor cooperated with the Heracleidae. [120]
Temenus claimed Argos against Tisamenus, and Tisamenus moved from Argos to Sparta. [121]
This is probably because Tisamenus was running out of food supplies and because the Argives favored the descendants of the builders of Argos rather than the descendants of the occupiers. [122]
There is also a legend that Erginus, a descendant of Diomedes, son of Tydeus, who lived in Argos at the time, stole the statue of Palladium, the city's guardian god, and cooperated with Temenus. [123]
In 1107 BC, Temenus entered Argos.
9.11 Entered Sparta
In 1106 BC, Temenus departed from Argos to conquer Sparta. [124]
Tisamenus did not have enough troops to fight a pitched battle, so he fortified himself in Sparta, and Temenus laid siege to Sparta. There were no more Argives in Tisamenus' army, only Achaeans remained.
During the siege of Sparta, the Heracleidae besieged and forced Helos, on the shores of the Gulf of Laconia, founded by Perseus' youngest son Helius, to surrender. The inhabitants of Helos who surrendered and were taken prisoner were made into public slaves called Helots. [125]
After Helius founded Helos, he and Amphitryon, father of Heracles, went on an expedition to the land of Teleboans and settled there. The inhabitants of Helos were likely Achaeans who migrated from Thessaly. [126]
Heracleidae tried to persuade Tisamenus by promising a reward to a man named Philonomus, who succeeded in convincing Tisamenus to move to Achaia. [127]
This Philonomus was one of the Minyans who migrated from Lemnos to Lacedaemon, chased by the Pelasgians who migrated from Athens to Lemnos. [128]
Tisamenus made a truce with Temenus and moved to Achaia in the northern part of the Peloponnesus peninsula. [129]
It is presumed that it was around this time that Oxylus, who was acting as a guide for the Heracleidae, left Sparta for Aetolia after receiving a promise from Temenus to take possession of Elis. Until then, Oxylus was probably keeping an eye on Tisamenus, who had left Argos, to see if he would go to Eleia. [130]
It is thought that Tisamenus chose Achaia as his migration destination for the following reasons.
1) Achaia was under the control of Mycenae even before the Trojan War.
2) Achaia had no powerful rulers.
As Oxylus feared, Eleia, where Tisamenus' ancestor Pelops lived, may also have been an option. However, it is presumed that Eleia did not become a migration destination because it was contrary to the above reasons. [131]
At this time, the people who immigrated with Tisamenus were the Achaeans, who lived widely from Laconia to Argolis. The Lacedaemonians and Argives, who had lived in the area since ancient times, seem to have continued living there. [132]
Agis, later king of Sparta, helped Patreus, son of Preugenes, a descendant of Amyclas, king of Lacedaemon, to found Patrae in Achaia, where Tisamenus and others had migrated. [133]
The Lacedaemonians also supported the colonial efforts of Gras, the son of Echelas, son of Penthilus.
[134]
9.12 Elis possession of Oxylus
In 1105 BC, Oxylus led the Aetolians and marched on Elis, forcing Dius, king of Elis at the time, to cede the kingship, but Dius refused, and the decision was made in single combat between representatives of both armies. In the battle between the archer of Dius and the slinger of Oxylus, the slinger won, and Oxylus took control of Elis. [135]
The names of the two men who fought in single combat are reported as if it were historical fact, but it appears to be a fabrication. Oxylus could accept Elis' royal power for the following reasons:
1) Oxylus was the sixth descendant of Aetolus, king of Elis, who migrated to Aetolia around 1330 BC, chased by Salmoneus, son of Aeolus.
2) Oxylus was related to the Heracleidae, which occupied much of Peloponnesus.
Oxylus allowed the Epeians, the previous inhabitants of Elis, to continue living there, and brought in new Aetolians to live there with them. [136]
In later years, Oxylus is said to have adopted Orestes' great-grandson Agorius from Helice of Achaia as Elis, but it seems that there was a conflict with Pisa over control of Olympia. [137]
9.13 Territorial Allocation
In 1104 BC, the return of the Heracleidae was completed, with some exceptions, and their respective territories were allocated. [138]
Temenus took possession of Argos, Cresphontes took possession of Messenia, and the sons of Aristodemus took possession of Lacedaemon. Many traditions record that this allocation was decided by drawing lots. [139]
However, it is believed that the older Temenus took possession of his ancestral land Argos, and that Cresphontes, whose wife was the daughter of the king of Arcadia, took possession of the rich Messenia.
Aristodemus's sons, who were still young, had no say.
Tradition has it that Theras, the guardian of Aristodemus' sons, had a say, but he also had no say.
Theras' father, Autestion, King of Thebes, was an exile exiled by the Boeotians, who had returned from Arne in Thessaly, to take refuge with the Dorians. [140]
9.14 Year of Heracleidae Return
Apollodorus of Athens tells us that there were 267 years between the Ionian migration and the first Olympiad (776 BC), and 1043 BC was the year in which the Ionian migration was completed. [141]
Castor of Rhodes tells us that there was a period of 60 years between the return of the Heracleidae and the migration of the Ionians. [142]
The year of the return of the Heracleidae that Castor refers to appears to be the year in which the Heracleidae completed the allocation of their respective territories.
10 Peloponnesus after the return of Heracleidae
10.1 Achaia
Tisamenus, who left Sparta with many Achaeans, entered Achaia and asked the native Ionians to live with them, but they were refused and a battle ensued. Tisamenus was a great general who could detect ambush troops by the way birds flew, but he was killed in battle with the Ionians. [143]
However, the Achaeans had the upper hand in the battle, and the Ionians, who lived in 12 cities, gathered at Helice to seek divine protection, and the Achaeans besieged it. [144]
Eventually, the Ionians made a truce with the Achaeans and moved to their ancestral land of Athens. [145]
The Athenians accepted the Ionians, remembering the favor they had received over 300 years earlier from Ion, the son of Xuthus, their forefather. Melanthus, the king of Athens, allowed the Ionians who had defected from Achaia to live with him in order to strengthen his power against the Dorians. [146]
10.2 Argos
When Temenus became king of Argos, Deiphontes, the son of Antimachus, the husband of Temenus' daughter Hyrnetho, led the Argives against Epidaurus, the neighbor to the east. Deiphontes had Epidaurus transferred without a fight from Pityreus, a descendant of Ion son of Xuthus. [147]
Deiphontes settled in Epidaurus the Ionians who had taken part in the expedition from Tetrapolis in Attica. [148]
Temenus of Argos was then slain by his sons, dissatisfied with his favor with Deiphontes. [149]
Temenus was succeeded by his eldest son Ceisus, who assembled the inhabitants and built a new Argos. [150]
In 1070 BC, Ceisus' youngest son Althaemenes led Dorians and Pelasgians from Argos to colonize Crete. [151]
The Dorians built ten cities within Crete. [152]
Afterwards, the Althaemenes themselves settled in Rhodes. [153]
The Althaemenes dispersed the people who had settled Rhodes further into Halicarnassus, Cnidus, and Cos. [154]
Some legends say that the Althaemene migration was due to internal conflict within Argos, but it seems that famine was the cause. [155]
10.3 Lacedaemon
10.3.1 Expulsion of Achaeans
Philonomus, who was credited with convincing Tisamenus to emigrate, was given control of Amyclae, just south of Sparta. [156]
Amyclae, the last remaining Achaean town, was attacked by the Dorians and, after a fierce resistance, was evacuated from the Peloponnesus peninsula. The travel writer Pausanias of the 2nd century AD dates it to the time of Telecles, the son of Archelaus, king of Sparta, who lived in the 8th century BC, but it appears to have happened during the time of the first Procles. [157]
The time when the Althaemenes led the emigrants from Argos to Crete was around the same time as the people of Amyclae migrated to the island of Melos and to Gortyn in Crete. [158]
Of course, it is unclear whether this emigration from Amyclae was the final abandonment of the town.
However, Pausanias seems to be wrong, as it seems unlikely that many of the residents resisted the Dorians from the beginning and left the town, while the remaining residents were able to continue living there for nearly 400 years. [159]
Amyclae's resistance was so strong that the Dorians invited Timomachus from Thebes to guide them in organizing their troops, and finally drove out the Achaeans. [160]
Also earlier, the peoples of Pharis and Geranthrae, where the Achaeans continued to live, also left the city to avoid fighting the Dorians. [161]
Although the town where the Achaeans lived disappeared, it seems that some Achaeans continued to live there.
For example, the tomb of Talthybius, the messenger of Agamemnon, was in Sparta, and his descendants had the privilege of being heralds for generations. [162]
10.3.2 Emigration to Thera
When Eurysthenes and Procles came of age, Theras, no longer his guardian, moved to the island of Calliste, between Sparta and Rhodes. [163]
The island was ruled by a descendant of Membliarus, son of Poeciles, and Theras gained the support of the inhabitants and became king of the land, renaming it Thera. [164]
Eurysthenes and Procles, the founders of the Spartan royal family, were twins who disagreed and were constantly at loggerheads, but both actively supported the migration of Theras. [165]
The group of immigrants led by Theras included selected members of each tribe as well as a small number of Minyans. [166]
Among the Minyans were the descendants of Leukophanes, son of Euphemus and Lamache. [167]
In 630 BC, Battus, son of Polymnestus, a descendant of Leukophanes, led a group of immigrants from Thera to Libya and founded Cyrene. [168]
10.4 Phlius
In 1087 BC, Rhegnidas, son of Phalces, son of Temenus, led an army of Argos and Sicyon on an expedition to Phlius, where he was accepted by the people and became king of Phlius. Hippasus, the leader of Phlius, who opposed their acceptance, moved to Samos. [169]
Some time earlier, in 1095 BC, Procles, son of Pityreus, led most of the original Epidaurus population from Athens, settled Samos, cohabited with the natives, and founded the town of Samos. [170]
In 1102 BC, Pityreus, a descendant of Ion, son of Xuthus, who had been driven from Epidaurus in Argolis by the Heracleidae, led the inhabitants of Epidaurus in migrating to Athens. [171]
Also, some people of Phlius, together with the Cleonaeans, crossed over to Asia Minor and founded the Clazomenae. [172]
10.5 Corinth
In 1074 BC, Aletes, the son of Hippotas, led the Dorians from Gonussa, west of Sicyon, and added Melas, the son of Antasus, to the expedition against Corinth. [173]
Hippotas was the son of Phylas, son of Antiochus, son of Heracles and Meda, daughter of Phylas of Dryopes, and Hippotas was sentenced to ten years' banishment. [174]
Antasus was also a descendant of Gonussa, the daughter of Sicyon, the son of Marathon, the son of Epopeus. [175]
At that time, Corinth had two sons of Propodas, Doridas and Hyantidas, on the throne, but he gave the throne to Aletes and remained there. However, the Aeolis who lived in Corinth resisted, and Aletes encamped on the hill of Solygia and fought, driving the resisting inhabitants out of Corinth. [176]
Aletes became King of Corinth and took Melas as a co-resident. Cypselus, son of Eetion, who became tyrant of Corinth in 657 BC, was a descendant of Melas. [177]
10.6 Athens
In 1075 BC, people driven out of Peloponnesus fled to Athens, and the Dorians, fearing the expansion of Athens' power, invaded Athens.
In the battle against the Dorians, Codrus, the son of Melanthus, king of Athens, was killed, but Athens was able to repel the Dorians. [178]
There is a tradition that Aletes of Corinth led the Dorians, but his father Hippotas' father Phylas' father Antiochus was the founder of the Antiochis, one of the ten tribes of Athens, so this is doubtful. [179]
The Dorians, on their way back from Athens, drove out the Ionians who lived in Megara and built Megara of the Dorians. [180]
The Ionians who were driven out at this time also migrated to Athens, and some settled in Brauron on the east coast of Attica. At Brauron there was a statue of the god Artemis, associated with Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon, whose tomb was at Megara. [181]
10.7 Mycenae
Strabo notes that Mycenae, along with Argos, was occupied by the Heracleidae.
[182]
However, Diodorus reports that the Mycenaeans remained independent, and it appears that Mycenae continued to be inhabited by the Achaeans without being occupied by the Heracleidae. [183]
In August 480 BC, Mycenae sent 80 soldiers to the Battle of Thermopylae, and in August 479 BC, along with Tiryns, they sent 400 soldiers to the Battle of Plataea.
In 494 BC, Argos, who had lost most of his male citizens in a battle with Lacedaemon, was unable to send troops to fight against the Persians, and was jealous of the Mycenaeans who had sent them to fight. [184]
In 468 BC, Argos received reinforcements from Tegea and others and raided Mycenae for supplies. Most of the Mycenaeans, running out of food, sought the protection of Alexander, son of Amyntas of Macedonia, and some fled to Cleonae and Ceryneia. [185]
The inhabitants of Ceryneia in Achaia accepted the Mycenaeans as co-residents. [186]
10.8 Tiryns
Tiryns, like Mycenae, was not occupied by the Dorians and is thought to have been inhabited by the Achaeans.
In 494 BC, the Argos fought the invading Cleomenes, son of Anaxandridas of Lacedaemon, at Sepeia near Tiryns, losing most of their male citizens. [187]
Argos entrusted the town to slaves, but when the sons of ordinary citizens came of age, they banished the slaves from the town. Slaves driven from Argos drove and occupied the Achaeans from Tiryns. After a long battle, Tiryns became part of Argos. [188]
The Achaeans, who originally lived in Tiryns, migrated to Halieis, east of the entrance to the Gulf of Argolis. [189]
10.9 Cleonae
After the return of the Heracleidae, Agamedidas, the great-grandson of Heracles' son Ctesippus, ruled over Cleonae. [190]
Some of the inhabitants of Cleonae, along with the inhabitants of Phlius, migrated to Asia Minor and founded Clazomenae. [191]
However, the Achaeans are thought to have lived in Cleonae even after that, and some Mycenaeans who were attacked by Argos in 468 BC took refuge in Cleonae. [192]
10.10 Toroezen
Toroezen, which was subordinate to Argos, accepted the Dorians as co-residents. [193]
10.11 Messenia
After capturing Messenia, Cresphontes established Stenyclerus as his capital. [194]
Later, Polyphontes, claiming to be the "True" descendant of Heracles, murdered Cresphontes and his two sons and usurped the throne. [195]
Cresphontes' youngest son, Aepytus, was spared as he was brought up by his grandfather Cypselus of Trapezus in Arcadia. [196]
In 1073 BC, the adult Aepytus was restored as king of Messenia with the support of his uncle Holaeas of Arcadia, Isthmius, son of Temenus of Argos, and Eurysthenes and Procles of Sparta. [197]
End
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