The Aeolians (/iːˈoʊliənz/; Greek: Αἰολεῖς) were one of the four major tribes in which Greeks divided themselves in the ancient period (along with the Achaeans, Dorians and Ionians).[1][2]

History

The name derives from Aeolus, the mythical ancestor of the Aeolians and son of Hellen, the mythical patriarch of the Greek nation; it actually comes from the Greek term aiolos (αίολος) meaning "quickly moving".[3] The dialect of ancient Greek they spoke is referred to as Aeolic.[2] According to Herodotus, it was said that the Aeolians were previously called Pelasgians.[4]

Originating in Thessaly, a part of which was called Aeolis, the Aeolians often appear as the most numerous amongst the other Hellenic tribes of early times.[2] The Boeotians, a subgroup of the Aeolians, were driven from Thessaly by the Thessalians and moved their location to Boeotia.[2] Aeolian peoples were spread in many other parts of Greece such as Aetolia, Locris, Corinth, Elis and Messinia.[2] During the Dorian invasion, Aeolians from Thessaly fled across the Aegean Sea to the island of Lesbos and the region of Aeolis, called as such after them, in Asia Minor.[2]

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Hard 2004, pp. 401–436.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Smith 1856, pp. 50–51.
  3. ↑ Harper, Douglas (2001–2020). "Aeolian". Online Etymology Dictionary.
  4. ↑ Herodotus, The Histories, 7.95: "The Aeolians furnished sixty ships and were equipped like Greeks; formerly they were called Pelasgian, as the Greek story goes."
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