Pyrrhus of Epirus

[gamegeek2]

I also accept the theory that the IndoEuropeans are from the steppes north of the Caucasus and Black/Caspian seas, about where the Sauromatae are in the campaign.

Pyrrhos is, indeed different from Pyros, "fire-y" would definitely make more sense.

Frankly, if you look at the proto-iranian word "Aryana" (their self-ethnonym), if you change the r to an "l" ('l's became 'r's when IE became Indo-Iranian, if I'm not mistaken) and add an "H" before it, as is common before PIE words that start with vowels, you end up with "Halana", which becomes "Hellene", if you add in the Ionic pattern of changing many 'a's to 'e's. For more proof for my theory, look at "Alana", the ethnonym for the Alans (derived from "Aryana") and change it the same way.

The other explanation would indeed by the "Areios" connection. The Indo-Iranians were famed conquerors (look what they did to previously Dravidian India!) Also, if you look at the Hellenization of "Aryana", it's "Areianes," proof for this other theory.

[machinor]

Frankly, if you look at the proto-iranian word "Aryana" (their self-ethnonym), if you change the r to an "l" ('l's became 'r's when IE became Indo-Iranian, if I'm not mistaken) and add an "H" before it, as is common before PIE words that start with vowels, you end up with "Halana", which becomes "Hellene", if you add in the Ionic pattern of changing many 'a's to 'e's. For more proof for my theory, look at "Alana", the ethnonym for the Alans (derived from "Aryana") and change it the same way.

This sounds a bit like crowbar-etymology to me, to be honest.

[gamegeek2]

You're probably right. It's just a theory, though. I'm just throwing something out there. I'm not saying I'm right, as I'm probably not.

[artavazd]

I also accept the theory that the IndoEuropeans are from the steppes north of the Caucasus and Black/Caspian seas, about where the Sauromatae are in the campaign.
Pyrrhos is, indeed different from Pyros, "fire-y" would definitely make more sense.

Frankly, if you look at the proto-iranian word "Aryana" (their self-ethnonym), if you change the r to an "l" ('l's became 'r's when IE became Indo-Iranian, if I'm not mistaken) and add an "H" before it, as is common before PIE words that start with vowels, you end up with "Halana", which becomes "Hellene", if you add in the Ionic pattern of changing many 'a's to 'e's. For more proof for my theory, look at "Alana", the ethnonym for the Alans (derived from "Aryana") and change it the same way.

The other explanation would indeed by the "Areios" connection. The Indo-Iranians were famed conquerors (look what they did to previously Dravidian India!) Also, if you look at the Hellenization of "Aryana", it's "Areianes," proof for this other theory.

Anther theory states that the IndoEuropeans originated from the Armenian Highlands. Frankly I think this theory gives a stronger argument.



http://www.geocities.com/Paris/LeftB...onicle120.html

[gamegeek2]

I actually think that they are from just north of the Caucasus Mountains, where the Siracae are in EB. It makes the most sense. Or the actual Caucasus range.

[artavazd]

Did you read the article I provided? The Steppe theory does not hold up when the spread of agriculture which is tied with the movement of the Indo-europeans is discussed. There was no form of agriculture in the steppes, and yet the Armenian highlands is one of the oldest places for the neolithic revolution. Also many Proto IE words deal with agriculture, and a Mountainous enviroment.
I have also read I think it was from a Zoroastrian source, how the Aryans (Iranians) view where they come from. They state that they came from the Arax valley, which is in Armenia. TPC can more clearly state what this source is exactly.


Now the steppes most Precisely around Ukraine was a second "gathering" of the IE tribes who were on the move. However the initial homeland is more likely to be located in the Armenian Highlands.

[IrishHitman]

Weren't the Celts from a bit further east? South of Poland maybe?

[artavazd]

Weren't the Celts from a bit further east? South of Poland maybe?

By the time we get "Celts", "Armenians", "Greeks" ect. The great migration from the IE homeland has been made. When we talk about the IE homeland this is WAAAY before we get stratified into the diffrent ethnicities.

[The Persian Cataphract]

There is no consensus on the matter; so many new findings within the greater Iranian cultural continent are made with so much haste that the issue is getting even fuzzier as we speak; however, these findings are very heavily concentrated in the north-western Iranian frontier, which of course constitutes what once was the commonwealth Armenian sphere of influence. Zoroastrian sources are very explicit when it comes to the extent of the "Aryanaem Vaeja" or the "Aryan realm"; though it is consensus within scholarly circles that Zoroaster hailed from an area close to the Oxus (Some have claimed that the BMAC archeological culture is a candidate), it was Medieval Zoroastrian thought that he hailed from Âtûrpâtakân/Atropatene/Azerbaijan, which again is adjacent to Armenia. One must not forget that the Armenians had acquired Zoroastrianism somehow, and this of course is echoed throughout history. The words "Hai", "Hayeren" and "Hayrenik", as well as the modern "Armenia" are all cognates to "Arya".

This theory of Armenia being the original homeland of farmers (As opposed to Ukraine or northern Transcaucasia being the source of Indo-European nomadic migrations) is fairly recent, but a valid candidate. None of the theories are necessarily wrong.