1 Introduction

In 1560 BC, during the reign of Iasus, son of Triopas, there was a great migration of the Pelasgians who lived in Argos. Triopas was the son of Phorbas, son of Criasus, son of Argus, son of Niobe, daughter of Phoroneus, son of Inachus.

The migration was the result of a war against Mycenae.

Argus, son of Niobe, had three sons: Criasus, Peirasus, and Ecbasus. [1]

In 1601 BC, Phorbas, son of Criasus, usurped the throne of Argos from Triops, son of Peirasus.

Argus, son of Agenor, son of Ecbasus, who sided with Triops, fled Argos to Mycenae and renamed the city Argion. [2]

Argus married Ismene, daughter of Thurimachus, the seventh king of Sicyon, and had a son, Messapus. Messapus, in turn, married Calchinia, daughter of Leucippus, the eighth king of Sicyon. [3]

Messapus, king of Mycenae, became the ninth king of Sicyon. With Sicyon under his control, Mycenae rapidly gained power. [4]

Messapus attacked Argos, which had exiled his father, Argus, and expelled the descendants of Triopas, son of Phorbas.

After this battle, Mycenae entered a Golden Age.

The defeated Pelasgians of Argos emigrated to various places.

2 Migration to Lycia and Egypt

Iasus, son of Triopas, set sail from Peloponnesus with his brother Xanthus. Along the way, Xanthus separated from Iasus and colonized Lycia. Iasus continued his voyage with his daughter Io and settled in Egypt. [5]

2.1 Xanthus' Migration to Lycia

After Xanthus settled some of his settlers near the Xanthus River in Lycia, he himself set sail further north.

Cyrnus, who accompanied Xanthus, founded Cyrnus across from Rhodes and he himself colonized an uninhabited island called Issa. [6]

Issa was called Pelasgia after the Pelasgians, whom Xanthus led. 220 years later, Lesbos, son of Lapithes of Thessaly, settled on the island, and it came to be called Lesbos. [7]

2.2 Iasus and His Daughter Io's Migration to Egypt

Iasus' daughter Io married Telegonus, who lived in Sais, Egypt. [8]

Io's son Epaphus expanded his power and founded Memphis. [9]

Cranaus, the second king of Athens, was also Io's son. [10]

It is said that the Athenians before the return of Peloponnesus of the Heracleidae were Pelasgians. This is because Cranaus relocated to Athens, bringing with him the Pelasgians who had migrated to Egypt with Iasus and Io. [11]

3 Migration to Arcadia

Pelasgus, son of Iasus' brother Agenor, settled at the foot of Mount Lycaeus (now Mt. Lykaion, 1,421 m above sea level), west-southwest of Argos. Pelasgus discovered edible oak nuts and introduced them to the people. [12]

Mount Lycaeus offered a panoramic view of most of the Peloponnesus Peninsula. There was an altar on the summit, and human sacrifices were performed. [13]

Pelasgus's son Lycaon founded Lycosura at the foot of Mount Lycaeus. [14]

Pelasgus's son Temenus settled in the area at the foot of Mount Cyllene (later Stymphalus), towering in northern Arcadia. [15]

Lycaon's many sons each founded towns throughout Arcadia. [16]

4 Migration to Thessaly

Larisa, daughter of Pelasgus, son of Triopas, and her family migrated to northern Thessaly. [17]

4.1 Via Arcadia

The following suggests that Larisa migrated from Argos to Arcadia with Pelasgus, son of Agenor, and then migrated from Arcadia to Thessaly.

1) At Dodona, a single oak tree was revered as a sacred tree. This was because it was believed to be the tree that provided humanity with its first food. [18]

2) An oak tree was moved from Thessaly to Dodona along with an oracle. [19]

3) Pelasgus, son of Agenor, who migrated to Arcadia, discovered edible oak nuts and introduced them to the people. [20]

Thus, it is assumed that Larisa, who migrated to Arcadia with Pelasgus, migrated to Thessaly with the oak tree after Pelasgus discovered edible oak nuts.

4.2 Founding of Larisa

The Pelasgians gathered people near the Peneius River and founded a town. [21]

At first, the town was called Argos, but Larisa's son Pelasgus named it Larisa after his mother. [22]

Larisa was the oldest town in Thessaly.

Larisa Cremaste, located near Mount Othrys southwest of the Pagasetic Gulf, is also thought to have been founded around the same time.

Larisa was also named after Pelasgus' daughter, Larisa. [23]

The areas where Larisa's three sons, Achaeus, Phthius, and Pelasgus, settled came to be called Achaia, Phthiotis, and Pelasgiotis. [24]

5 Migration to Megara

Crotopus, son of Agenor, son of Triopas, migrated to the foot of Mount Geraneia in Megara and founded the Tripodiskion. [25]

Earlier, Car, son of Phoroneus, had migrated to Megara from Argos in 1725 BC. [26]

End