Pelasgus
InGreek mythology,Pelasgus(Ancient Greek:Πελασγός,Pelasgósmeans "ancient"[1]) was theeponymousancestor of thePelasgians,the mythical inhabitants ofGreecewho established the worship of theDodonaeanZeus,Hephaestus,theCabeiri,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. Someancient Greeksbelieved that he was the first man.
Inachid Pelasgoí of Argos
[edit]- InArgos,severalInachid kingswere called Pelasgus:
- Pelasgus, brother toApisboth sons ofPhoroneus,is said to have founded the city of Argos in Peloponnesus, to have taught the people agriculture, and to have receivedDemeter,on her wanderings, at Argos, where his tomb was shown in later times.[2]
- Pelasgus, son ofTriopasandSois,and a brother ofIasus,Agenor,andXanthus.[3]According to Greek legends, he founded the sanctuary ofDemeterin Argos and for this reason she was worshipped at this temple under the name Pelasgian Demeter.[4]
- Pelasgus,also known asGelanor,son ofSthenelas[5]orArestor.
Arcadian Pelasgus
[edit]- Pelasgus, either anautochthon,[6]or a son ofZeusbyNiobe[7](and in the latter case brother ofArgus) or ofArestor(son ofIasus[8]orEcbasus[9]). TheOceanideMeliboea,[10]thenymphCyllene,[11]orDeianeira,[12]became by him the mother ofLycaon[13]andTemenus.[14]According to Hellenistic version of the myth, Pelasgus coming from Argos, civilized the hitherto savage natives of Arcadia and founded the city ofParrhasia.[15][16]
- Pelasgus, son ofArcas.[17]
Thessalian Pelasgoí
[edit]- Pelasgus, an Argive prince as son ofPoseidonandLarissa,daughter of the Pelasgus, son of Triopas. Together with his brothersPhthiusandAchaeus,they left Achaean Argos with aPelasgiancontingent forThessaly.They then established a colony on the said country naming it after themselves:Pelasgiotis,PhthiotisandAchaea.[18]Pelasgus was also the founder of the Thessalian Argos.[19][20]He was also said to be the father ofPhrastorby the nymphMenippe.[21]Pelasgus is also said to have been the ancestor of theTyrrheniansthrough 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.[22]
- Pelasgus, father ofChlorusand grandfather ofHaemon[23]or the father of Haemon and grandfather ofThessalusinstead.[24]He may be the same man with the above Pelasgus.
Homeric Pelasgus
[edit]- In theIliad,Homercharacterizes Pelasgus as brave, and lists the Pelasgians as allies of the Trojans, fighting against the tribes ofGreeksin theTrojan War.[25]
- Pelasgus, father ofHippothous,one of the Trojan leaders who fought alongside theDardaniansand other allies defending the walls of the city ofTroy.[26]In some accounts Hippothous' father was calledLethus,son of the above Teutamides.[27]
Other character
[edit]- Pelasgus, also calledPelagon,[28]son of theriver-godAsopusby thenaiadMetope,daughter of the riverLadon.[29]He was brother toAegina,Salamis,Thebe,Corcyra,Tanagra,Thespia,Cleone,Sinope,Peirene,Asopis,Ornea,Chalcis,Harpina,Ismene,andIsmenus.His sisters were abducted by various gods as punishment for their father's deed.[30]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^Robert Graves.The Greek Myths,section 12 s.v. Hera and her Children
- ^Pausanias,1.14.2&2.22.1;ScholiaonEuripides,Orestes920;EustathiusonHomer,p. 385
- ^Hyginus,Fabulae145
- ^A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, Pelasga
- ^Pausanias,2.16.1
- ^HesiodinApollodorus,2.1.1;Pausanias,2.14.4&8.1.4
- ^Pseudo-Clement,Recognitions10.21
- ^ScholiononEuripides,Orestes1646
- ^Stephanus of Byzantium,s.v.Parrasia
- ^Apollodorus,3.8.1;TzetzesadLycophron,481
- ^Apollodorus,3.8.1;Scholia ad Euripides,Orestes1642
- ^Dionysius of Halicarnassus,1.11.2&1.13.1
- ^Hyginus,Fabulae225
- ^Pausanias,8.22.2
- ^Scholia ad Euripides,Orestes1646; Stephanus of Byzantium, s.v.Parrasia
- ^Fowler, Robert L.(2013).Early Greek Mythography: Volume II Commentary.Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. p. 107.ISBN978-0-19-814741-1.
- ^Pausanias,2.14.4
- ^Dionysius of Halicarnassus,1.17.3
- ^Eustathius on Homer, p. 321
- ^Clinton, Fast. Hell. vol. 1. p. 9
- ^Dionysius of Halicarnassus,1.28.3
- ^Hellanicus'Phoronisas cited in Dionysius of Halicarnassus,1.28.3(Hellanicus fr. 4 Fowler, pp. 156–176)
- ^Stephanus of Byzantium,s.v.Haimonia
- ^Scholia onApollonius Rhodius,3.1089
- ^Homer (September 2006).The Illiad of Homer(PDF).Translated by Pope, Alexander. pp. 312, 525.
- ^Apollodorus,E.3.35
- ^Homer,Iliad2.843
- ^Apollodorus,3.12.6
- ^Diodorus Siculus,4.72.1
- ^Diodorus Siculus,4.61.1&4.72.1;Apollodorus,1.9.3,2.1.3&3.12.6
References
[edit]- Apollodorus.1921.The Librarywith an English translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. as two volumes, Cambridge, MA:Harvard University Press;London, UK: William Heinemann Ltd.ISBN0-674-99135-4.Online textandGreek textat thePerseus Digital Library
. - Dionysius of Halicarnassus.1937–1950.Roman Antiquities.English translation by Earnest Cary [in]Loeb Classical Library,as seven volumes.Harvard University Press.Online textat Bill Thayer's website.
- Dionysius of Halicarnassus.1885.Antiquitatum Romanarum quae supersunt,volsI-IV.Karl Jacoby. [in]Aedibus.Leipzig: B.G. Teubneri.Greek textat thePerseus Digital Library.
- Fowler, Robert L.2013.Early Greek Mythography,vol2:Commentary.Oxford University Press.
- Gaius Julius Hyginus,Fabulae from the Myths of Hyginustranslated and edited by Mary Grant.University of KansasPublications in Humanistic Studies.Online textat the Topos Text Project.
- Homer,The Iliadwith an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924.ISBN978-0674995796.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Homer,Homeri Operain five volumes. Oxford, Oxford University Press. 1920.ISBN978-0198145318.Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Pausanias,Description of Greecewith an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918.ISBN0-674-99328-4.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
- Pausanias,Graeciae Descriptio.3 vols.Leipzig, Teubner. 1903.Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Pseudo-Clement.1867.RecognitionsfromAnte-NiceneLibrary, volume 8, translated by Rev. Thomas Smith. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark.Online textat theio.
- Stephanus of Byzantium.1849.Stephani Byzantii Ethnicorum quae supersunt,edited by August Meineike (1790-1870). A few entries from this important ancient handbook of place names have been translated by Brady Kiesling, available atOnline textat the Topos Text Project.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Smith, William,ed. (1870). "_".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
This article includes a list of Greek mythological figures with the same or similar names. If aninternal linkfor a specific Greek mythology article referred you to this page, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended Greek mythology article, if one exists.