HELLEN (progenitor of the Hellenes)
Figure of myth · mythological progenitor of the Hellenes
- Parents
- Deucalion, Zeus, Prometheus, Antiope, Pyrrha, Klymene
- Siblings
- Amphictyon, Thyia, Pandora, Protogeneia
- Consorts
- Orseis
- Children
- Xuthus, Aiolos, Dorus, Neonus
- In the sources
- 14 ancient passages
Hellen, son of Deucalion and Pyrrha, stood as a war-loving king whose legacy defined the very name of his people.1,2,3,4 While most accounts name Deucalion as his father, some sources claim Zeus was instead the divine parent of this great figure.5,1
He ruled the territory around Phthia, situated between the Peneius and Asopus rivers, and divided his lands among his sons.6,7 Passing his primary territories to his eldest son, Hellen sent the others away to seek new settlements, including Dorus and Aeolus.7,6,2,8,5,9 He also fathered Xuthus and Neonus, and had a child with the nymph Orseis.7 His other sons accused Xuthus of taking ancestral property, leading to his expulsion, an event that occurred after Hellen had already died.10
The people called Greeks derived their name directly from Hellen, who named them after himself.4,7 A portion of Thessaly was named Hellas in his honor, and the Hellenes migrated from the city of Hellas to the city of the Melitaeenses.11,12 His tomb remains located in the market-place of the Melitaeenses, marking the final rest of this foundational ancestor.12
The codex facts behind this entry
In the myths
Hellen divided the country among his sons, passing his territories to his eldest son and sending his other sons away to find new settlements. Apollodorus 1.7.3 +1
