Pelasgus
Encyclopedia
In Greek mythology
, Pelasgus was the eponymous ancestor of the Pelasgians
, the mythical inhabitants of Greece
who established the worship of the Dodona
ean Zeus, Hephaestus
, the Cabeiri
, and other divinities. In the different parts of the country once occupied by Pelasgians, there existed different traditions as to the origin and connection of Pelasgus. The Ancient Greeks used to believe even he was the first man.
, several Inachid kings were also called Pelasgus. One, the brother to Apis
both sons of Phoroneus
, is said to have founded the city of Argos in Peloponnesus, to have taught the people agriculture, and to have received Demeter
, on her wanderings, at Argos, where his tomb was shown in later times. Another was believed to have been a son of Triopas
and Sois, and a brother of Iasus
, Agenor
, and Xanthus
. Also known as Pelasgus was Gelanor
, he welcomed Danaus
and the Danaides when they fled from Aegyptus
. According to others, again, Pelasgus was a son of Arestor
, and grandson of Iasus
, and immigrated into Arcadia, where he founded the town of Parrhasia.
' play Suppliants
the Danaids
fleeing from Egypt
seek asylum from King Pelasgus of Argos, which he says is on the Strymon including Perrhaebia
in the north, Dodona
and the slopes of the Pindus mountains on the west and the shores of the sea on the east; that is, a territory including or north of the Thessalian Pelasgiotis
. The southern boundary is not mentioned; however, Apis
is said to have come to Argos from Naupactus
"across" (peras), implying that Argos includes all of east Greece from the north of Thessaly to the Peloponnesian Argos, where the Danaids are probably to be conceived as having landed. He claims to rule the Pelasgians and to be the "child of Palaichthon ('ancient earth') whom the earth brought forth."
The Danaids call the country the "Apian hills" and claim that it understands the karbana audan, which many translate as "barbarian speech" but Karba (where live the Karbanoi) is in fact a non-Greek word. They claim to descend from ancestors in ancient Argos even though they are of a "dark race" (melanthes ... genos). Pelasgus admits that the land was once called Apia but compares them to the women of Libya
and Egypt
and wants to know how they can be from Argos on which they cite descent from Io
.
In a lost play by Aeschylus, Danaan Women, he defines the original homeland of the Pelasgians as the region around Mycenae
.
n tradition, he was either an Autochthon, or a son of Zeus by Niobe
; and the Oceanide Meliboea
, the nymph Cyllene, or Deianeira, became by him the mother of Lycaon of Arcadia.
, or as the father of Haemon, and as the grand father of Thessalus
, or again as a son of Poseidon and Larissa
, and as the founder of the Thessalian Argos.
He is also said to have been the ancestor of the Tyrrhenians through the following lineage: Pelasgus - Phrastor - Amyntor
- Teutamides - Nanas. In the latter's reign, the Pelasgians were believed to have left Greece and to have settled in a new land that later came to be named Tyrrhenia.
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, Pelasgus was the eponymous ancestor of the Pelasgians
Pelasgians
The name Pelasgians was used by some ancient Greek writers to refer to populations that were either the ancestors of the Greeks or who preceded the Greeks in Greece, "a hold-all term for any ancient, primitive and presumably indigenous people in the Greek world." In general, "Pelasgian" has come...
, the mythical inhabitants of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
who established the worship of the Dodona
Dodona
Dodona in Epirus in northwestern Greece, was an oracle devoted to a Mother Goddess identified at other sites with Rhea or Gaia, but here called Dione, who was joined and partly supplanted in historical times by the Greek god Zeus.The shrine of Dodona was regarded as the oldest Hellenic oracle,...
ean Zeus, Hephaestus
Hephaestus
Hephaestus was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. He is the son of Zeus and Hera, the King and Queen of the Gods - or else, according to some accounts, of Hera alone. He was the god of technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals, metallurgy, fire and volcanoes...
, the Cabeiri
Cabeiri
In Greek mythology, the Cabeiri, were a group of enigmatic chthonic deities. They were worshiped in a mystery cult closely associated with that of Hephaestus, centered in the north Aegean islands of Lemnos and possibly Samothrace —at the Samothrace temple complex— and at Thebes...
, and other divinities. In the different parts of the country once occupied by Pelasgians, there existed different traditions as to the origin and connection of Pelasgus. The Ancient Greeks used to believe even he was the first man.
Inachid Pelasgoí of Argos
In ArgosArgos
Argos is a city and a former municipality in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Argos-Mykines, of which it is a municipal unit. It is 11 kilometres from Nafplion, which was its historic harbour...
, several Inachid kings were also called Pelasgus. One, the brother to Apis
Apis (Greek mythology)
-King of Argos:Apis was a king of Argos. He was a son of Phoroneus by the nymph Laodice, and brother of Niobe. During his reign he established a tyrannical government and called the Peloponnesus after his own name Apia: but he was killed in a conspiracy headed by Thelxion, king of Sparta, and Telchis...
both sons of Phoroneus
Phoroneus
In Greek mythology, Phoroneus was a culture-hero of the Argolid, fire-bringer, primordial king of Argos and son of the river god Inachus and either Melia, the primordial ash-tree nymph or Argia, the embodiment of the Argolid itself: "Inachus, son of Oceanus, begat Phoroneus by his sister Argia,"...
, is said to have founded the city of Argos in Peloponnesus, to have taught the people agriculture, and to have received Demeter
Demeter
In Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, who presided over grains, the fertility of the earth, and the seasons . Her common surnames are Sito as the giver of food or corn/grain and Thesmophoros as a mark of the civilized existence of agricultural society...
, on her wanderings, at Argos, where his tomb was shown in later times. Another was believed to have been a son of Triopas
Triopas
In Greek mythology, Triopas, Triophas or Triops was the name of several characters, whose relations are unclear. He belonged to the house of Phoroneus....
and Sois, and a brother of Iasus
Iasus
In Greek mythology, Iasus or Iasius was the name of several individuals:*Iasus, king of Argos. His genealogy is confused; according to different sources, he was:**Son of Phoroneus, brother of Agenor and Pelasgus...
, Agenor
Agenor, son of Triopas
Agenor was the son and successor of Triopas, in the kingdom of Argos. He belonged to the house of Phoroneus, and was father of Crotopus. He was also said to have been the brother of king of Argos Iasus, Anthus and Pelasgus....
, and Xanthus
Xanthus
Xanthus may refer to:In Greek mythology:*Divine**Xanthus, the gods' name for Scamander, the great river of Troy and its patron god**Xanthus, one of the twelve sons of Pan who were allied with Dionysus*Human...
. Also known as Pelasgus was Gelanor
Gelanor
In Greek mythology, King Gelanor of Argos welcomed Danaus and his daughters. When an oracle told him to give Danaus his kingdom, he did so. He wanted to sell the Danaides into slavery following their murder of their husbands, but Danaus and the gods dissuaded him...
, he welcomed Danaus
Danaus
In Greek mythology Danaus, or Danaos , was the twin brother of Aegyptus and son of Achiroe and Belus, a mythical king of Egypt. The myth of Danaus is a foundation legend of Argos, one of the foremost Mycenaean cities of the Peloponnesus...
and the Danaides when they fled from Aegyptus
Aegyptus
- Aegyptus, King of Egypt and Arabia :In Greek mythology, Aegyptus is a descendant of the heifer maiden, Io, and the river-god Nilus, and was a king in Egypt. Aegyptos was the son of Belus and Achiroe, a naiad daughter of Nile. Aegyptus fathered fifty sons, who were all but one murdered by the...
. According to others, again, Pelasgus was a son of Arestor
Arestor
Arestor son of Iasus, is a character from Greek mythology. He is the father of Argus Panoptes, who is therefore called Arestorides . According to Pausanias , Arestor was the husband of Mycene, the daughter of Inachus, from whom the town of Mycenae derived its name....
, and grandson of Iasus
Iasus
In Greek mythology, Iasus or Iasius was the name of several individuals:*Iasus, king of Argos. His genealogy is confused; according to different sources, he was:**Son of Phoroneus, brother of Agenor and Pelasgus...
, and immigrated into Arcadia, where he founded the town of Parrhasia.
In the Suppliants
In AeschylusAeschylus
Aeschylus was the first of the three ancient Greek tragedians whose work has survived, the others being Sophocles and Euripides, and is often described as the father of tragedy. His name derives from the Greek word aiskhos , meaning "shame"...
' play Suppliants
The Suppliants (Aeschylus)
The Suppliants is a play by Aeschylus. It was probably first performed sometime after 470 BC as the first play in a tetralogy, sometimes referred to as the Danaid Tetralogy, which probably included the lost plays The Egyptians , and The Daughters of Danaus , and the satyr play Amymone...
the Danaids
Danaus
In Greek mythology Danaus, or Danaos , was the twin brother of Aegyptus and son of Achiroe and Belus, a mythical king of Egypt. The myth of Danaus is a foundation legend of Argos, one of the foremost Mycenaean cities of the Peloponnesus...
fleeing from Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
seek asylum from King Pelasgus of Argos, which he says is on the Strymon including Perrhaebia
Perrhaebia
Perrhaebia was the northest district of ancient Thessaly, where the tribe of Perrhaebi lived. Major cities were: Pythion, Doliche, Azorus, Oloosson and Phallana the capital. Perrhaebia was part of Macedonia between 4th and 1st centuries BC....
in the north, Dodona
Dodona
Dodona in Epirus in northwestern Greece, was an oracle devoted to a Mother Goddess identified at other sites with Rhea or Gaia, but here called Dione, who was joined and partly supplanted in historical times by the Greek god Zeus.The shrine of Dodona was regarded as the oldest Hellenic oracle,...
and the slopes of the Pindus mountains on the west and the shores of the sea on the east; that is, a territory including or north of the Thessalian Pelasgiotis
Pelasgiotis
Pelasgiotis was an elongated district of ancient Thessaly from the Vale of Tempe to the southern city of Pherae. Pelasgiotis included the below localities: Argos Pelasgikon, Argyra, Atrax, Crannon, Cynoscephalae, Elateia, Gyrton, Mopsion, Larissa, Kondaia, Onchestos river and town, Phayttos,...
. The southern boundary is not mentioned; however, Apis
Apis (Greek mythology)
-King of Argos:Apis was a king of Argos. He was a son of Phoroneus by the nymph Laodice, and brother of Niobe. During his reign he established a tyrannical government and called the Peloponnesus after his own name Apia: but he was killed in a conspiracy headed by Thelxion, king of Sparta, and Telchis...
is said to have come to Argos from Naupactus
Naupactus
Naupactus or Nafpaktos , is a town and a former municipality in Aetolia-Acarnania, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Nafpaktia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit...
"across" (peras), implying that Argos includes all of east Greece from the north of Thessaly to the Peloponnesian Argos, where the Danaids are probably to be conceived as having landed. He claims to rule the Pelasgians and to be the "child of Palaichthon ('ancient earth') whom the earth brought forth."
The Danaids call the country the "Apian hills" and claim that it understands the karbana audan, which many translate as "barbarian speech" but Karba (where live the Karbanoi) is in fact a non-Greek word. They claim to descend from ancestors in ancient Argos even though they are of a "dark race" (melanthes ... genos). Pelasgus admits that the land was once called Apia but compares them to the women of Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and wants to know how they can be from Argos on which they cite descent from Io
Io (mythology)
Io was, in Greek mythology, a priestess of Hera in Argos, a nymph who was seduced by Zeus, who changed her into a heifer to escape detection. His wife Hera set ever-watchful Argus Panoptes to guard her, but Hermes was sent to distract the guardian and slay him...
.
In a lost play by Aeschylus, Danaan Women, he defines the original homeland of the Pelasgians as the region around Mycenae
Mycenae
Mycenae is an archaeological site in Greece, located about 90 km south-west of Athens, in the north-eastern Peloponnese. Argos is 11 km to the south; Corinth, 48 km to the north...
.
Pelasgus of Arcadia
According to the ArcadiaArcadia
Arcadia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan...
n tradition, he was either an Autochthon, or a son of Zeus by Niobe
Niobe
Niobe was a daughter of Tantalus and of either Dione, the most frequently cited, or of Eurythemista or Euryanassa, and she was the sister of Pelops and Broteas, all of whom figure in Greek mythology....
; and the Oceanide Meliboea
Meliboea
In Greek mythology, Meliboea was a name attributed to the following individuals:*The wife of Magnes, who named the town of Meliboea in Thessaly after her. The town of Meliboea became a kingdom in eastern Thessalia . Nowadays, Meliboea is a municipality of Larissa prefecture...
, the nymph Cyllene, or Deianeira, became by him the mother of Lycaon of Arcadia.
Pelasgus of Thessaly
In Thessaly, Pelasgus was described as the father of Chlorus, and as the grandfather of HaemonHaemon
According to Sophocles' play Antigone, Haemon or Haimon , was the son of Creon and Eurydice.When Oedipus stepped down as King of Thebes, he gave the kingdom to his two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, who both agreed to alternate the throne every year. However, they showed no concern for their...
, or as the father of Haemon, and as the grand father of Thessalus
Thessalus
In Greek mythology, the name Thessalus is attributed to three individuals, all of whom were considered possible eponyms of Thessaly.*Thessalus, son of Jason and Medea and the twin of Alcimenes. He escaped being murdered by his mother and, after the death of Acastus, became king of...
, or again as a son of Poseidon and Larissa
Larissa (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Larissa was a local nymph from Thessaly. She was described by Pausanias as a daughter of Pelasgus. However, Hellanicus states that the sons of Poseidon and Larissa were Achaios, Phthios, and Pelasgus...
, and as the founder of the Thessalian Argos.
He is also said to have been the ancestor of the Tyrrhenians through the following lineage: Pelasgus - Phrastor - Amyntor
Amyntor
Amyntor , was an ancient Greek name attributed to several people both mythological and historical.- Mythological :...
- Teutamides - Nanas. In the latter's reign, the Pelasgians were believed to have left Greece and to have settled in a new land that later came to be named Tyrrhenia.