1 Introduction

In 1430 BC, Greek immigrants living in Egypt migrated from Egypt to various other regions.

1.1 Manetho's Account

The first-century AD historian Josephus, citing the writings of the third-century BC historian Manetho, reports:

"During the reign of King Misphragmuthosis, those expelled from various parts of Egypt were besieged in a place called Auaris, surrounded by a wall and guarded by 240,000 soldiers. The besieged were released on the condition that they leave Egypt. Those released from Auaris, together with their families, left Egypt and fled across the desert to Syria." [1]

The third-century AD historian Sextus Julius Africanus lists the names of the pharaohs of Egypt's 18th dynasty as recorded by Manetho, and Misphragmuthosis was the sixth. [2]

Misphragmuthosis is therefore presumably another name for Thutmose III, the sixth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. [3]

Thutmose III was a conqueror who expanded ancient Egypt to its greatest extent and died in 1425 BC. [4]

1.2 Estimates

In 1430 BC, Greek immigrants of Egypt lived in the cities of Sais, Thebes, Memphis, and Chemmis. Danaus, son of Belus, lived in Chemmis. [5]

Danaus's tribe, the Danaya (Tanaju), paid tribute to Thutmose III. [6]

From the above, it can be inferred that:

People living in the Nile Delta rebelled against Thutmose III, were expelled from their homes, and took refuge in Auaris (or Avaris, Athyria).

The besieged inhabitants of Auaris included not only people who had migrated from Greece to Egypt, but also Jews.

The Jews migrated overland across the desert to Syria.

The Greek immigrants of Egypt, led by Danaus and Agenor, migrated by sea to the Peloponnesus and Syria. If Manetho's account is correct, then hundreds of thousands of people migrated from Egypt to various places at this time.

2 Migration of Danaus

2.1 Migration from Egypt to Argos

Danaus, son of Belus, son of Libya, daughter of Epaphus, son of Io, lived in the city of Chemmis in the Nile Delta. [7]

In 1430 BC, Danaus set sail from Egypt and landed on Rhodes, where he was welcomed by its inhabitants. [8]

According to legend, Danaus landed in Lindos, which at the time was probably called Cyrbe. [9]

Danaus lost three daughters on Rhodes. [10]

Danaus' two daughters, Helice and Archedice, remained on the island and built the Temple of Lindian Athena. [11]

Approximately 850 years later, Cleobulus of Lindos, Rhodes, one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece, rebuilt the outdated temple of Athena. [12]

Cleobulus is said to be a descendant of Heracles. [13]

Cleobulus is believed to be a descendant of Althaemenes, son of Ceisus, son of Temenos, who emigrated from Argos to Rhodes. [14]

Cleobulus likely knew that Danaus was the ancestor of Heracles and therefore his own ancestor. [15]

Danaus's colony set sail from Rhodes and entered the Argolic Gulf at Peloponnesus.

The colony landed near Pyramia in Thyrea, on the border between Argolis and Laconia, and Danaus's uncle Lelex advanced inland from there. [16]

Danaus continued his voyage and landed at Apobathmi near Lerna, then headed for Argos. [17]

At the time, Argos was ruled by Gelanor, son of Sthenelas. [18]

Danaus expelled Gelanor from Argos. [19]

Gelanor fled to Sicyon. [20]

2.2 Migration of Danaus' Companions

Danaus's immigrants included his uncle Lelex, his brother Orus, his brother Aegyptus, and Aegyptus's sons.

2.2.1 Lelex

Lelex, son of Libya, settled his son Myles in the middle reaches of the Eurotas River in Laconia, and then migrated to Megara, where Car, son of Phoroneus, had migrated from Argos 12 generations earlier. [21]

Later, Teleboas, son of Lelex's daughter Therapne, migrated to the Echinades Islands in northwestern Greece.

Teleboas's father also migrated with Danaus and founded Therapne near Lacedaemon. [22]

2.2.2 Orus

Orus, likely Danaus' younger brother, settled in the littoral region of Argolis and founded Oraea (later Troezen). [23]

2.2.3 Aegyptus

Aegyptus, the twin brother of Danaus, settled in the northwestern part of the Peloponnesus. The tomb of Aegyptus, son of Belus, was located in Aroe (later Patrae). [24]

2.2.4 Lynceus, son of Aegyptus

Lynceus married Hypermnestra, daughter of Danaus, and succeeded Danaus as ruler of Argos. [25]

2.2.5 Eumelus, son of Aegyptus

Eumelus married Phylodameia, daughter of Danaus, and lived in Aroe. [26]

2.2.6 Antimachus, son of Aegyptus

Antimachus married Midea, daughter of Danaus, and had a son, Amphianax. [27]

2.3 The Name of Danaus

Pausanias states in five passages in his writings that Triopas was the father of Messene, who married Polycaon, son of Lelex. [28]

Triopas was a prominent and powerful leader of the Greeks at the time and lived in Argos. [29]

At the time of Polycaon's marriage to Messene, Danaus ruled Argos, and Triopas may have been either an alias or his real name.

The Chronicles of Thutmose III record tribute from the land of Danaya (Tanaju), presumably the Greeks. [30]

Danaya may have been the tribal name of Danaus's father, Belus, and Danaus may have been a coined word derived from that tribal name, like a person's name.

Alternatively, Danaus may have been Belus's father and husband to Belus's mother, Libya, and his grandson may have been called by his grandfather's name.

The name of Danaus' twin brother, Aegyptus, also seems to be a neologism, coined from Egypt as if it were a person's name.

3 Migration of Phoenix, son of Agenor

Phoenix, son of Agenor, migrated from Thebes, Egypt, to Tyre, Phoenicia. [31]

Thebes, where Phoenix lived, is believed to have been in the Nile Delta. [32]

Phoenix married Perimede, daughter of Oeneus, before the migration. [33]

Oeneus was the great-grandson of Herse, daughter of Cecrops, the first king of Athens, and is believed to have lived in Tyre. [34]

4 Migration of Agenor

Agenor, son of Libya, daughter of Epaphus, son of Io, migrated from Egypt to Sidon, Phoenicia. [35]

Agenor's mother, Telephassa, was among Cadmus's immigrants, so Agenor is believed to have died in Sidon. [36]

5 Migration of Maceris

5.1 Maceris, likely the son of Agenor

Maceris migrated from Egypt to Phoenicia with Agenor. [37]

At the time, Astynous, son of Phaethon, son of Tithonus, son of Cephalus, son of Herse, daughter of Cecrops, the first king of Athens, lived in Tyre. [38]

Later, Astynous' son Sandocus founded Celenderis in Cilicia Tracheia. [39]

Maceris is believed to have learned navigation from Astynous's family in Tyre. [40]

Maceris later learned astronomy from Actis (or Auges, Atlas) in Heliopolis, Egypt. [41]

Actis, son of Rhodos, was one of the Heliads of Rhodes and the founder of Heliopolis, Egypt. [42]

Maceris, who incorporated celestial knowledge into navigation, was a godlike figure to the maritime people, the Phoenicians. He was called Egyptian Heracles or Phoenician Heracles. [43]

In addition to Tyre, there were shrines and temples to Heracles in Tartessus of Iberia, Canopus of Egypt, and Thasos. [44]

The 2nd-century historian Arrian considered the Heracles worshipped in Tartessus to be the same as the Heracles of Tyre. [45]

Phoenix, son of Agenor, lived in Tyre, and Thasus, son of Cillix, son of Agenor, lived in Thasos. [46]

Maceris founded Heracleia (later Calpe, near present-day Algeciras) in the southern part of the Iberian peninsula, where he died. [47]

Maceris was also known as Melcartus. [48]

Near Heracleia was the northern Pillar of Hercules (Mount Calpe). [49]

Maceris may have migrated to the area to exploit the tin found in the Tartessus River. [50]

5.2 Sardus, son of Maceris

In 1390 BC, Sardus, son of Maceris, emigrated from Canopus, Egypt, to Ichnussa (later Sardinia) on the western side of the Italian peninsula. [51]

The Temple of Father Sardus is located in southwestern Sardinia, and it is believed that Sardus emigrated near this area. [52]

6 Migration of Cilix, son of Agenor

In 1425 BC, Cilix, son of Agenor, emigrated from Sidon to the southern side of Mount Ida in Troad and founded Thebe. [53]

The people who migrated with Cilix were called Cilicians, and the region they inhabited was called Cilicia. [54]

Cilix's daughter, Thebe, married Corybas, who lived near Mount Ida. [55]

Cilix's son, Thasus, emigrated from Thebe to Thasus. [56]

7 Migration of Cadmus, son of Agenor

7.1 From Sidon to Rhodes

In 1426 BC, Cadmus, son of Agenor, led a colony from Sidon in Phoenicia. Cadmus's colony included Phoenicians and Arabians. [57]

These people, driven from Egypt and traveling overland, joined Cadmus in Sidon. They were a vast number. Manetho reports that more than 240,000 people crossed the desert from Egypt into Syria. [58]

Cadmus landed in northeastern Rhodes and built a temple to Poseidon. [59]

Later, Cadmus donated a bronze cauldron inscribed with Phoenician writing to the temple of Athena, founded by Danaus. [60]

Some of the Phoenicians in Cadmus's colony settled in Rhodes. [61]

7.2 Cadmus's collaborators

Astynous, son of Phaethon of Tyre, provided ships for Cadmus's colony, escorted them to Thracia, and then returned to Tyre. [62]

This is inferred from the marriage of Megassares' daughter, Pharnace, to Astynous' son, Sandocus. [63]

Megassares's wife was Alcyone, daughter of Orchomenus, founder of Orchomenus in Arcadia. [64]

Megassares, along with Dardanus, founder of the Trojan royal family, emigrated from Arcadia to Samothrace and settled there. [65]

Astynous' son, Sandocus, who accompanied him, married Megassares' daughter, Pharnace, in Samothrace. After landing Cadmus' colony in Thracia, Astynous and Sandocus returned to Tyre with Pharnace. [66]

Sandocus then migrated to Cilicia Tracheia and founded Celenderis. [67]

7.3 Marriage of Phoenix's daughter Europa

In 1425 BC, Phoenix's daughter Europa, who was part of Cadmus' colony, married Cydon, son of Tegeates.

Cydon migrated from Tegea in Arcadia to northwestern Crete in 1450 BC and founded Cydonia. [68]

7.4 Marriage of Phoenix's daughter , Astypalaea

In 1425 BC, Phoenix's daughter, Astypalaea, who was part of Cadmus's immigrant group, married Acmon (or Celmis, Damnameneus, Idaean Heracles), who lived in Aptera, northwest of Crete. [69]

Astypalaea accompanied Acmon to Olympia and later settled in Caria, near Rhodes. [70]

Astypalaea's son, Ancaeus, became king of the Leleges. [71]

The Leleges were Greeks who mixed with Carians. [72]

Astypalaea's descendants ruled Samos and Cos, slightly north of Rhodes. [73]

7.5 Colonization of Thera

Cadmus then stopped in Calliste (later Thera) and left a group of potential colonists on the island, led by Poeciles' son Membliarus. The descendants of these colonists lived on the island for eight generations until Theras, son of Autesion, arrived from Sparta and settled there. [74]

7.6 Cadmus' Visit to Samothrace

Cadmus traveled north, visiting the islands of the Aegean Sea, and landed in Samothrace, where Dardanus and Megassares, who had immigrated from Arcadia in 1430 BC, lived.

In Samothrace, Cadmus married Dardanus's sister, Harmonia. [75]

Cadmus and Harmonia shared a common ancestor: Triopas, son of Phorbas, son of Criasus, son of Argus, son of Niobe, daughter of Phoroneus, son of Inachus of Argos.

7.7 Cadmus' Landing in Thracia

Cadmus left Samothrace and landed in Thracia, settling near Mount Pangaeus, north of the Chalcidice Peninsula. The Telchines, who were among Cadmus's band of immigrants, engaged in prospecting activities wherever they went. [76]

Cadmus became wealthy from the gold he discovered on Mount Pangaeus. [77]

Cadmus's mother, Telephassa, died in Thracia. [78]

7.8 Founding of Cadmeia

In 1420 BC, a tsunami struck the coast of Thracia, where Cadmus' colony had settled. Cadmus again led a colony south to Thessaly and invaded Boeotia. [79]

At the time, Boeotia was inhabited by the Temmix (Temmikes), Hyantes, Ectenes, and Aonians.

Cadmus fought them and was victorious. [80]

The Hyantes, who had lived around Thebes, were driven westward. [81]

The Ectenes, who had lived around Thebes before the Hyantes, were driven out by the Hyantes about 160 years ago and largely migrated to Attica. The remaining Ectenes were driven out by Cadmus and migrated to Attica. [82]

The Aonians, who had lived around Glissas northeast of Thebes, were allowed to continue living there. [83]

Cadmus built a palace on a high spot in the area vacated by the Hyantes, settled around it, and founded a town called Cadmeia. [84]

The Gephyraeans from Phoenicia settled around Tanagra. [85]

The Arabians, who had been part of Cadmus's group, settled in Euboea. [86]

End