Chapter 59 - The person buried with the Agamemnon mask

1 Introduction

In 1876, a person buried at the Mycenae site with “Agamemnon's Mask” was discovered by Heinrich Schliemann.

That person appears to be Messapus, the ninth Sicyon king.

At the time, Argos was called Phoroneus and Sicyon was called Aegialeia, but for ease of understanding, I will use their renamed names.

2 Lineage of the kings of Sicyon

2.1 Messapus, the ninth king of Sicyon

Pausanias, a travel writer from the 2nd century AD, and Castor, a chronicler from the 2nd century BC, provide the genealogy of the kings of Sicyon. [1]

Pausanias mostly refers to the genealogy of the kings of Sicyon written by Castor.

However, Pausanias writes the genealogy from the 7th king Thurimachus to the 10th king Peratus (or Eratus) while referring to other historical sources.

Pausanias writes that Leucippus, son of Thurimachus, had no sons, and was succeeded by Peratus, son of his daughter Calchinia. [2]

However, in Castor's list of the kings of Sicyon, Messapus is listed after Leucippus, and Eratus after Messapus. [3]

This suggests that Messapus was the husband of Leucippus' daughter Calchinia and the father of Peratus.

2.2 Daughter of Thurimachus, the 7th king of Sicyon

The 2nd century AD writer Apollodoros reports that Argus, son of Agenor, known as the All-seeing, married Ismene, daughter of the river god Asopus. [4]

At the time of their marriage, the king of Sicyon, where the river Asopus flows, was Thurimachus, son of Aegydrus (or Aegyrus). [5]

In other words, it is assumed that Ismene's father, the river god Asopus, was Thurimachus, and Ismene was Thurimachus's daughter. [6]

2.3 Father of Messapus

Messapus, the 9th king, succeeded his father-in-law as the husband of Calchinia, daughter of Leucippus, the 8th king.

However, it is assumed that Messapus himself was also related to the lineage of the kings of Sicyon.

Thus, Messapus was likely the son of Ismene, the daughter of Thurimachus, the 7th king.

Therefore, it is assumed that Messapus' father was Argus, the son of Agenor.

3 Sicyon and Argos

3.1 Usurpation

In 1750 BC, Phoroneus and Aegialeus, the sons of Inachus, founded Argos and Sicyon. [7]

The 5th century AD historian Orosius reports that Phoroneus, king of Argos, and the Parrhasians fought against the Telchines and the Caryatii. [8]

The Telchines are presumably a tribe whose ancestor was Telchin (or Telchis), the 3rd king of Sicyon, as described by Castor. [9]

Pausanias writes that Telchin was the son of Europs, the 2nd king of Sicyon, but if that were the case, the tribe would not have been called Telchines.

From the fact that among the sons of Phoroneus there is also a son named Europs, it is assumed following. [10]

When Aegialeus, the first king of Sicyon, died, there was no one to succeed him, so Aegialeus' brother Phoroneus appointed his son Europs as the 2nd king of Sicyon.

Telchin, a powerful man in Sicyon, rebelled against this and led the Telchines in battle, defeating Phoroneus, and becoming the 3rd king of Sicyon himself. [11]

3.2 Apis' Rule of Sicyon

In 1690 BC, Apis, who succeeded Phoroneus as king of Argos, attacked Sicyon and placed it under Argos's control. [12]

In Castor's list, Apis is listed as the 3rd king of Argos and the 4th king of Sicyon. [13]

Apis was the brother of Europs, the 2nd king of Sicyon.

After being ruled by Apis, son of Phoroneus, for 25 years, Sicyon was again ruled by the Telchines. [14]

3.3 Migration to Crete

In 1690 BC, after losing the battle between Apis and Telchine, Telchine's son Cres emigrated to Crete. [15]

The Telchines, led by Cres, were called Eteocretans in Crete, and Cres was their king. [16]

The Telchines discovered iron in Crete and were called the Idaean Dactyls. [17]

The Telchines were a race with knowledge of metalworking. [18]

Then the Telchines also spread to Rhodes. [19]

3.4 Trade activities in Sicyon

In 1665 BC, Sicyon became independent from the rule of Argos. [20]

After that, trade activities began between Sicyon and Crete and Rhodes.

Mycenae was located at a strategic location connecting the Gulf of Argolis with Sicyon.

It is assumed that Mycenae was founded when Argos and Sicyon were founded. [21]

4 Annexation of Argos

4.1 Civil strife in Argos

In 1600 BC, strife arose among the descendants of Argus, son of Niobe, who lived in Argos.

Phorbas, son of Criasus, son of Argus, usurped the throne from Triops, son of Peirasus, son of Argus. [22]

Argus, son of Agenor, son of Ecbasus, son of Argus, who sided with Triops, migrated to Mycenae, and the town came to be called Argion. [23]

Argus was also called the many-eyed or All-seeing, and was a man of great foresight. [24]

4.2 Relationship by marriage between Mycenae and Sicyon

Argus married Ismene, daughter of Thurimachus, the seventh king of Sicyon. [25]

Messapus, son of Argus, married Calchinia, daughter of Leucippus, the eighth king of Sicyon. [26]

Upon Leucippus' death, Messapus became the ninth king of Sicyon, ruling both Sicyon and Mycenae while residing in Mycenae. [27]

4.3 Battle against Argos

In 1560 BC, Messapus, son of Argus, attacked Argos, and the Telchines residing in Sicyon also joined the assault.

The Pelasgians living in Argos migrated to various regions. [28]

After this battle, Messapus came to rule over most of the inhabitants of the Peloponnesus peninsula, except for the Pelasgians residing in Arcadia.

5 Golden Age of Mycenae

If the time of Agamemnon in the early 12th century BC is considered the Golden Age of Mycenae, then the time of Messapus, son of Argus, was the first Golden Age.

It is presumed that Mycenae traded not only with Crete and Rhodes, which had previously traded with Sicyon, but also with the Italian peninsula.

To the Italian peninsula, Oenotrus and Peucetius, the two sons of Lycaon, son of Pelasgus, son of Niobe, had led their people in migration around 1635 BC, driven by internal strife in Argos. [29]

The migration of Oenotrus and Peucetius coincided with the migrations of Tiryns, son of Argus, who founded Tiryns, and Epidaurus, son of Argus, who founded Epidaurus. [30]

Tiryns and Epidaurus are also presumed to have traded with the Italian peninsula.

Oenotrus and Peucetius were second cousins of Agenor, father of Argus, father of Messapus.

6 Agamemnon's Mask

6.1 Person buried with the mask

Messapus, King of Mycenae, also ruled as King of Sicyon and became the Great King who commanded the King of Argos.

The individual buried wearing the “Agamemnon's Mask” excavated from the ruins of Mycenae is presumed to be Messapus, son of Argus.

6.2 The Mask's manufacturer

The mask was crafted by the Telchines, known as the Idaean Dactyls, who were mining engineers and metalworking technicians. [31]

The Telchines were the tribe that gave Rhodes its ancient name, Telchinia. They were called the Children of the Sea and were a tribe skilled in navigation. [32]

The Telchines were among Cadmus's colonists and discovered gold on Mount Pangaeus. [33]

6.3 Mycenae's Gold

The gold of Mycenae in Agamemnon's time originated from deposits in Phrygia and Mount Sipylus. [34]

However, gold in that region was discovered in the time of Agamemnon's ancestor Tantalus, while Messapus lived 200 years before Tantalus.

In Messapus's time, it seems the Telchines had not yet mined gold in Troad, Thracia, Paeonia, Macedonia, or Thasus.

If the Telchines were mining gold, the most likely location would be the island of Siphnos, where gold and silver mines existed.[35]

Sailing from Rhodes, called the island of the Telchines, toward Cape Scyllaion in Argolis, one passes near the island of Siphnos.[36]

End