Hellen
In Greek mythology, Hellen (/ˈhɛlɪn/; Ancient Greek: Ἕλλην, Hellēn, "bright") was the progenitor of the Hellenes (Ἕλληνες). His name is also another name for Greek, meaning a person of Greek descent or pertaining to Greek culture, and the source of the adjective "Hellenic".
Mythology
Hellen was the son of Deucalion (or sometimes Zeus) and Pyrrha, and was the brother of Amphictyon and father of Aeolus, Xuthus, and Dorus.
According to the Hesiodic Catalogue of Women, his sons were themselves progenitors of primary tribes of Greece: Aeolus the Aeolians, Dorus the Dorians, and Xuthus the Achaeans and Ionians through his sons Achaeus and Ion.[1]
According to Thucydides,[2] they conquered the Greek area of Phthia and subsequently spread their rule to other Greek cities. The people of those areas came to be called Hellenes, after the name of their ancestor. The ethnonym Hellenes dates back to the time of Homer. In the Iliad, "Hellas" (Ἑλλάς) and "Hellenes" were names of the tribe (also called "Myrmidones") settled in Phthia, led by Achilles.
Genealogy of Hellenes
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See also
References
- ↑ Hesiod, Catalogue of Women, frr. 9 and 10(a) OCT.
- ↑ History of the Peloponnesian War, 1.3.2