Bebryces

The Bebryces (Greek: Βέβρυκες) were a tribe of people who lived in Bithynia. According to Strabo they were one of the many Thracian tribes that had crossed from Europe into Asia,[1] although modern scholars have rather argued for a Celtic origin.[2][3]

Name

The name Bebryces could be related to the Celtic tribes Bebruces, living in the Pyrenees, and Briboci, dwelling in Britain,[4] all ultimately stemming from Proto-Celtic *brebu ('beaver'; see Gaulish bebros, bebrus, Old Irish Bibar, 'beaver').[2][5]

History

According to legend they were defeated by Heracles or the Dioscuri,[6] who killed their king, Mygdon or Amycus.[6] Their land was then given to King Lycus of the Mariandynians, who built the city Heraclea there. Some say Amycus was a brother of Mygdon and another Bebrycian king; both were sons of Poseidon and Melia. Greek mythology offers two different accounts for the origin of the name 'Bebryces': either from a woman named Bebryce (Eustath. ad Dionysius Periegetes 805.), or from a hero named Bebryx (or Bebrycus) (Steph. Byz. s.v. Bebrycus). Bebryce is possibly the same as Bryce, a daughter of Danaus, a mythical King of Libya and Arabia (Apollodorus). Bebryx was also the father of Pyrene.

References
  1. Strabo 7.3.2
  2. Sergent 1988, pp. 345–350.
  3. Delamarre 2003, p. 69: "B. Sergent a démontré de façon convaincante (REA 40 [1988], 329-358) que les Bebrukes d'Anatolie étaient un peuple celtique et non pas thrace"
  4. Sergent 1988, p. 346.
  5. Matasović 2009, p. 59.
  6. Apollonius of Rhodes

Bibliography
  • Delamarre, Xavier (2003). Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental (in French). Errance. ISBN 9782877723695.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Matasović, Ranko (2009). Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic. Brill. ISBN 9789004173361.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Sergent, Bernard (1988). "Les premiers Celtes d'Anatolie". Revue des Études Anciennes. 90 (3): 329–358. doi:10.3406/rea.1988.4340.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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