The Ethnicity of the Sea Peoples - RePub - Erasmus Universiteit ...
The Ethnicity of the Sea Peoples - RePub - Erasmus Universiteit ...
The Ethnicity of the Sea Peoples - RePub - Erasmus Universiteit ...
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11. THE AENEAS’ SAGA: ETRUSCAN ORIGINS IN PARVO<br />
If we are right in our conclusion that Luwian population<br />
groups from western Asia Minor colonized Etruria in <strong>the</strong><br />
late 8th or early 7th century BC, <strong>the</strong>re may also well be a<br />
kernel <strong>of</strong> truth in <strong>the</strong> colonization by Trojans <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> coastal<br />
region <strong>of</strong> Latium as transmitted to us by <strong>the</strong> famous Aeneas’<br />
saga.<br />
According to Vergilius’ version <strong>of</strong> this myth, <strong>the</strong> Trojans<br />
set out with 20 ships from Antandros, which lies at <strong>the</strong><br />
nor<strong>the</strong>rn side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> same bay that also harbors Smyrna –<br />
<strong>the</strong> starting point, as we have seen, <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lydians in <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
colonization <strong>of</strong> Etruria according to Herodotos. From here,<br />
<strong>the</strong>y first go to <strong>the</strong> Thracian coast, where <strong>the</strong>y build a city<br />
called Aeneadae after <strong>the</strong>ir leader Aeneas (in Hellanikos’<br />
version this first stopping place is specified as Pallene in<br />
Khalkidike). 311 Next, <strong>the</strong> journey proceeds via Delos to<br />
Crete, where again <strong>the</strong> Trojans build a city, this time called<br />
Pergamea after Pergama – an alternative name <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
hometown Troy. After this intermezzo, <strong>the</strong>y move on to<br />
<strong>the</strong> realm <strong>of</strong> Hellenus in Chaonia, Epirus, which is inhabited<br />
by kinsmen who likewise escaped from Troy after <strong>the</strong><br />
fall <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> city at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Trojan war. 312 Sailing<br />
along <strong>the</strong> eastern coast <strong>of</strong> Italy and Sicily, <strong>the</strong>ir next major<br />
stopping place is <strong>the</strong> realm <strong>of</strong> Acestes in <strong>the</strong> region <strong>of</strong> Eryx<br />
and Segesta, northwest Sicily, where, just like in Chaonia,<br />
<strong>the</strong> population consists <strong>of</strong> kinsmen from Troy. As a matter<br />
<strong>of</strong> fact, in <strong>the</strong> part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> trip between Crete and Sicily <strong>the</strong><br />
main concern <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> expedition is to avoid <strong>the</strong> hostile<br />
Greek settlements along <strong>the</strong> shores and on <strong>the</strong> islands <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Ionian sea. After <strong>the</strong>ir stay with Acestes, Aeneas and<br />
his companions are driven by a storm to <strong>the</strong> coast <strong>of</strong> Africa,<br />
where <strong>the</strong>y visit Carthago, <strong>the</strong> town newly founded<br />
by Phoenicians from Tyre under <strong>the</strong> leadership <strong>of</strong> queen<br />
Dido. 313 From here, <strong>the</strong>y return to <strong>the</strong> realm <strong>of</strong> Acestes in<br />
Sicily, where games are held in honor <strong>of</strong> Aeneas’ fa<strong>the</strong>r<br />
Anchises, who had died <strong>the</strong>re during <strong>the</strong>ir first stay. 314 Finally,<br />
after a visit <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> underworld in <strong>the</strong> region <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
311 Fragmente der griechischen Historiker 4 F 31; cf. Galinsky<br />
1969: 111-2.<br />
312 Vergilius, Aeneid III.<br />
313 Vergilius, Aeneid I; IV.<br />
314 Vergilius, Aeneid V.<br />
89<br />
Euboeian colony Cumae, 315 Aeneas and his Trojan colonists<br />
reach <strong>the</strong>ir final destination, Latium at <strong>the</strong> mouth <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Tiber. 316<br />
Having pitched <strong>the</strong>ir camp in Latium, <strong>the</strong>re evolves a<br />
war with <strong>the</strong> local population, who want to get rid <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
intruders. <strong>The</strong> war entails a truly epic coalition <strong>of</strong> forces.<br />
On <strong>the</strong> side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Latins fight <strong>the</strong> Caeretan king Mezentius<br />
with his son Lausus, who had been driven out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
hometown and had taken refuge with <strong>the</strong> Rutulians,<br />
Aventinus with followers from <strong>the</strong> Aventine hill, Catillus<br />
and Corus with followers from Tibur, Caeculus with followers<br />
from Praeneste, Messapus with Faliscan Aequi,<br />
Clausus with Sabins, Halaesus with Osci from <strong>the</strong> region<br />
<strong>of</strong> Cales and <strong>the</strong> Volturnus, Oebalus with Teleboans from<br />
Capri, Ufens with Aequiculi, Umbro from <strong>the</strong> Marsian<br />
hills, Virbius from Egeria’s woods, Camilla with Volsci,<br />
Volcens with Latins, and Turnus with his Rutulians. 317<br />
<strong>The</strong> help <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Greek hero Diomedes (Aeneas’ foe in <strong>the</strong><br />
Trojan war), residing at Arpi, is called upon, but he refuses<br />
to join in. On <strong>the</strong> side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Trojans fight Evander with his<br />
Arcadians, declared enemies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Latins, Tarchon with<br />
an Etruscan army <strong>of</strong> undetermined origin, Massicus with<br />
followers from Clusium and Cosae, Abas with men from<br />
Populonia and Elba, Asilas with men from Pisae, Astyr<br />
with followers from Caere, Pyrgi and Graviscae, Cinyrus<br />
with Ligurians, and Ocnus and Aulestis with an army from<br />
Mantua. In sum, this basically Etruscan coalition is reported<br />
to comprise 30 ships. 318 <strong>The</strong> war ends with <strong>the</strong><br />
death <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> leader <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Italic coalition, Turnus, by <strong>the</strong><br />
hand <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Trojan leader, Aeneas. (In <strong>the</strong> version by Dionysios<br />
<strong>of</strong> Halikarnassos, Aeneas – who is married with<br />
Latinus’ daughter Lavinia and rules both <strong>the</strong> Trojans and<br />
<strong>the</strong> Latins at <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> war with <strong>the</strong> Rutulians and<br />
Mezentius – simply disappears, and <strong>the</strong> Latins subsequently<br />
build a hero-shrine for him.) 319 In <strong>the</strong> course <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
following peace, preluded to in Vergilius’ version <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
myth, <strong>the</strong> native Latins will not change <strong>the</strong>ir name into<br />
315 Vergilius, Aeneid VI.<br />
316 Vergilius, Aeneid VII.<br />
317 Vergilius, Aeneid VII, 647-817; IX, 367-70.<br />
318 Vergilius, Aeneid X, 146-214.<br />
319 Roman Antiquities I, 64.