< Cleodaeus, son of Hyllus >

1 Origin

Cleodaeus (or Cleodaios, Cleodotos, Cleodas) was born in Tricorythus, Attica, in 1218 BC.

Cleodaeus' father was Hyllus, son of Heracles. [Diod.7.17.1, Herod.6.52, 7.204, 8.131, Paus.3.15.10, AelianAnim.12.31, TzeAdLyco.804]

Cleodaeus' mother was Iole, daughter of Eurytus. [Apo.2.8.2, TzeAdLyco.804]

2 Family

Cleodaeus married Peridea. [TzeAdLyco.804]

Cleodaeus had a son, Aristomachus (or Aristomachos). [AelianAnim.12.31, Diod.7.17.1, Herod.6.52, 7.204, 8.131, Paus.2.7.6]

Cleodaeus had a daughter, Lanassa. [FGrH.12.23, Plut.Pyrr.1, Just.17.3]

3 Others

In 1211 BC, Hyllus failed to return to Peloponnesus and was killed in battle. [Diod.4.58.4, Herod.9.26]

Cleodaeus emigrated to Pindus in Doris. [Diod.4.58.6]

In 1173 BC, Cleodaeus led the Dorians in an attack on Mycenae and destroyed the city. [Paus.3.15.10, estimated from Paus.4.30.1]

Afterwards, Cleodaeus was counterattacked by the Mycenaeans and returned to Pindus.

However, some people, including Cleodaeus' eldest son, were unable to return to Doris and remained in Peloponnesus. They fled to Ire (later Abia) in Messenia and settled there.

On Heracleidae' final return, it is believed that they first chose Messenia as their first destination in order to join their remaining brethren. [Paus.4.30.1]

The Dorians led by Cleodaeus also invaded Laconia and devastated Amyclae. Peisander of Amyclae also participated in the colonization of Tenedos by Orestes, which took place immediately after the Dorians' invasion. [FGrH.Nr4.F32, Pind.Ne.11, Strabo.13.1.3]

It is more reasonable to assume that some of the Dorians who were defeated in the battle fled to Ire, not from Argolis, but from Amyclae.

The colonization of Orestes was also participated in by Epidaurus in Argolis, and it is assumed that the Dorians also devastated Epidaurus. [StephByz.P517.17]