Re: Pelasgian, Tyrrhenian, and Achaean

Right,



I've researched this the Hellenic Krestona and I found that it has
been associated with Cortona, an minor Tyrrhenian city state located
in Umbria, well away from the coast.

However, it is far more likely that Krestona is Krestona or Crisa, a
small town, in Phocis, near the Crissaean Bay.

If so this means that Herodot was referring to Greece and not Italy.
This also leads credence to the Strabo
reference about Pelasgians at Delphi-Phocis. Early Delphi was
Pytho. I'm wondering if there could be a connection with Pytho-Pyrgi
and Crisa-Caisra? This is also a Phocisian myth about Phocus being
killed by his half-brothers Telamon and Peleus. Telamon is another
Etruscan port town while Peleus may represent a form of Pelasgoi. The
myth continues as Phocus' mother Psamathe (apparently some deity)
sent a monstrous wolf into Thessalia, where Peleus lived to destroy
his herds. This Peleus is also said to be the father of Achilles.

This is also the Thessalia city of Krannona, named after Cranon a son
of Pelasgus.

Thus, Histories 1.57, can be rendered as:

Then which tongue began Pelasgoi, [I] can not honestly say. Weather
once it was fixed by a boundary, yet it is said that [these]
Pelasgôn
were settled [at] Krêstôna City over (or more likely-in defense
of)
the Tyrrhenil [as] they bordered for a time those called Dôrieusi.
The territory they inhabited is now called Thessaliôtin.

The Hellenic term huper can also mean -in defense of-

Also the Doris district is located between Phocis (south), Thessalia
(north), Locris (east), and Aetolia (west). However, if Krestona is
Krannona (situated on the northern border of Thessalia), this may
refer to a time before the Dorians had entered Greece. Interestingly,
Thessalia was divided into four districts; Hestiaotis in the
northwest, Pelasgiotis in the northeast, Thessaliotis in the
southwest and Phthiotis in the southeast. Also in periods of external
war an overall commander was selected called tagos.


JS Crary