Tyrrhenus

2025-06-12T01:25:55Z

79.44.35.43:

{{Short description|Character in Etruscan mythology}}
In [[Etruscan mythology]], '''Tyrrhenus''' (in {{langx|el|Τυῤῥηνός}}) was one of the founders of the [[Etruscan civilization#Etruscan League|Etruscan League]] of twelve cities, along with his brother [[Tarchon]].

[[Herodotus]]<ref>[[Herodotus]], [[Histories (Herodotus)|''Histories'']] I.94</ref> describes him as the saviour of the Etruscans, because he led them from [[Lydia]] to [[Etruria]]; however this Lydian origin has been debated and disputed as it contradicts archeological, cultural and linguistic evidence, as well as the view held by both the Etruscans themselves and by other Etrusco-Roman and Greek ancient sources.<ref>Mrs. Hamilton Grey, Chapter I, "The Rasena"; pp.5-15</ref><ref name="Dionysius">Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Antiquities Romanae, Book 1; Section 30.</ref><ref>Nancy Thomson de Grummond, Etruscan Myth, Sacred History, and Legend, "Foundation Myths and Legends"; pp. 201-208.</ref> Since ancient times, doubts have been raised about the accuracy of Herodotus' claims. [[Xanthus of Lydia]], originally from [[Sardis]] and a great connoisseur of the history of the [[Lydians]], wasn't aware of a Lydian origin of the Etruscans and never mentioned Tyrrhenus in any part of his history as a ruler of the Lydians, as reported by Greek historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus.<ref name="Dionysius"/>

{{quote|Xanthus of Lydia, who was well acquainted with ancient history as any man and who may be regarded as an authority second to none on the history of his own country [and yet he] neither names Tyrrhenus in any part of his history as a ruler of the Lydians nor knows anything of the landing of a colony of Lydians in Italy|}}

There is consensus among modern scholars that Herodotus' claims are not based on real events.<ref name="Hornblower2014">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0awiBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA292 |title=The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization |date=2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780191016752 |editor-last=Hornblower |editor-first=Simon |edition=2 |series=Oxford Companions |location=Oxford |pages=291–292 |language=en |quote=Briquel's convincing demonstration that the famous story of an exodus, led by Tyrrhenus from Lydia to Italy, was a deliberate political fabrication created in the Hellenized milieu of the court at Sardis in the early 6th cent. BCE. |editor-last2=Spawforth |editor-first2=Antony |editor-last3=Eidinow |editor-first3=Esther}}</ref>

His name was given to the Etruscan people by the Greeks. The Romans extended this use to the sea west of Etruria: the [[Tyrrhenian Sea]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Mythological archetypes]]
[[Category:Etruscan mythology]]

{{Europe-myth-stub}}

Wikipedia - User contributions [en]

Tyrrhenus