Greek tribes being labelled 'Barbarians'

[Ehetlaios]

What were the Lyncestians considered?

[Orphic_Hymn]

LYCOPHRON, ALEXANDRA 8

Original:


Translation and notes by A. W. MAIR

Two1 shall she see as ravening wolves, winged wanton eagles of sharp eyes; the third2 sprung from root of Plynos and Carian waters, a half-Cretan barbarian, a Epeian, no genuine Argive by birth: whose grandfather3 of old Ennaia4 Hercynna Erinys Thuria, the Sword-Bearer, cut fleshless with her jaws and buried in her throat, devouring the gristle of his shoulder: his who came to youth again and escaped the grievous raping desire of the Lord5 of Ships and was sent by Erechtheus6 to Letrina’s fields to grind the smooth rock7 of Molpis8 – whose body was served as sacrifice to Rainy Zeus – that he might overcome the wooer-slayer9 by the unholy device for slaying his father-in-law which the son10 of Cadmilus devised



1. Theseus and Paris.
2. Menelaus is a descendant of Atlas (Atlas – Sterope – Oenomaus – Hippodameia – Pelops – Atreus – Menelaus) who dwells in Libya, here indicated by Plynos in Cyrenaica (Strabo 938). Carian either refers to Karikon teichos (Steph. B.) in Libya of the Carians having once dwelt in Lacedaemon (schol.) or to Minos’ dominion over the Carians. Menelaus is thus a “barbarian” and through his mother, Aerope, daughter of Catreus, son of Minos, he is “half-Cretan.” As grandson of Hippodameia he is an Epeian = Elean (Pind. O. ix. 58, x. 35).
3. Pelops was served up by his father Tantalus at a banquet to the gods, when Demeter ate part of his shoulder unwittingly. Restored to life and carried off by Poseidon (Pind. O. i. 40), he was sent by Zeus to Elis where he overcame Oenomaus in a chariot-race and won his daughter Hippodameia for his bride, after thirteen previous suitors had been slain by her father (Pind. O. i. 81 ff.). His victory was due to the treachery of Oenomaus’ charioteer Myrtilus, son of Hermes, who, when he asked Pelops for the price of his treachery, was by him hurled into the sea, which was hence called Myrtoan (Paus. viii. 14. 11), cursing with his last breath the house of Pelops.
4. Demeter: Ennaia in reference to rape of Persephone in Enna; Hercynna by-name of Demeter at Lebadeia in Boeotia; Erinys at Thelpusa in Arcadia (Callim. fr. incert. 91); Thuria = “Passionate” with grief fro her daughter (schol.); Sword-bearer, cult-name of Demeter in Boeotia (schol.).
5. Poseidon.
6. Zeus.
7. Elis or Olympia.
8. During a drought in Elis Molpis offered himself as a victim to Zeus Ombrius.
9. Oenomaus, father of Hippodameia.
10. Myrtilus, son of Cadmilus = Hermes; charioteer of Oenomaus.

[Orphic_Hymn]

Of course this entry from the Suda (M 172) is related to a Roman, but it proves that the use of "barbarian" was both a racial but also a cultural denomination :

Original


Translation:

[Maximinus], emperor of the Romans. This man, after taking over the imperial rule, made quite a change by employing his power very quickly and with much terror, and he tried to turn everything from a tame empire into the savageness of a tyranny. He was by nature a barbarian in character as well as in race, for his murderous behavior was hereditary.........

[Orphic_Hymn]

Again from the Suda (entry sigma 946)

Original:





Translation:

Spintharos ridiculed in comedy as a barbarian and Phrygian.

note: This is obviously related to politics since Spintharos was the father of the well known Athenean demagoge Eubulus of Anaphlystus who had acquitted Aeschines from Demosthenes' accusaions of treason.