Hi everybody! I am new to this forum so hi to all!
I am looking for as much info as possible about the ancient Paones, we might know them from Homers Iliad book XXI for instance:
upon Asteropaios son of Pelegon, whom wide-flowing Axios begat of Periboia eldest of the daughters of Akessamenos. Upon him set Achilles, and Asteropaios stood against him from the river, holding two spears; for Xanthos put courage into his heart, being angered for the slaughtered youths whom Achilles was slaughtering along the stream and had no pity on them. Then when the twain were come nigh in onset on each other, unto him first spake fleet-footed noble Achilles: "Who and. whence art thou of men, that darest to come against me? Ill-fated are they whose children match them with my might."
And to him, made answer Pelegon's noble son: "High-hearted son of Peleus, why askest thou my lineage? I come from deep-soiled Paionia, a land far off, leading Paionian men with their long spears, and this now is the eleventh morn since I am come to Ilios. My lineage is of wide-flowing Axios, who begat Pelegon famous with the spear, and he, men say, was my father. Now fight we, noble Achilles!"
Now the above text mentions him as son of the mighty Pelagon from wide flowing Axius( todays Vardar river in Fyrom macedonia)
Could they be the forefathers of the Pelagones with their known tripolis from Herododtus account?
Here is some more text about the Paones..
The tribes of Paeonia inhabited the mountains in the interior of the country (Macedonia/Fyrom). They observed, learned and slowly grew accustomed to a new spirit, a new culture, and many luxurious goods. Some of these tribes, as for instance the Laeaei, Derrones and Siriopaiones, were soon to manifest their cultural integrity by producing silver coins at the close of the 6th and start of the 5th centuries B.C. This sudden flourishing of culture was to be conducive to an instant polarization within the communities, which marked the end of the Paeonian "clan idyll". Hence one among the equal members became hungry for power, since this would bring in its wake the obtaining of the clan's wealth and splendour. This also led to the birth of aristocracy. After some time this was to result in the genesis of a princedom, i.e. the first small state, which would expand proportionally to the power of the prince. Eventually this state would develop into a kingdom, with the attribution of regal honours to its head. Thus the dynasty was born.
The gloomy prehistoric night is swallowed in the depths of the three great rivers of Macedonia, and the Paeonian tribes with their princes take the stage in the full light of day. One of the early Paeonian sovereigns was Teutaos. One of his silver coins, a diobol from between 450 and 435 B.C., was discovered at the Paeonian palace on Markova Kula near Demir Kapija. We also know of two princes of the Paeonian Agrinians in the course of the 4th century; these were Langarus and Dyplaios (c. 330). Other renowned princes of the Paeonians were Nicharchos, Symon and Bastareios (also 4th century), while the historically documented Paeonian dynasty was to follow with the kings Agis (to 359), Lycaeios (359/8 - 340/35), Patraios (340/35 - 315), Audoleon (315 - 286/5), Ariston (286/5), Leon (after 278 - c. 250) and Dropion (c. 250 - 230).
And the following known kings and customs from the coins found so far.
Thus we read the names of the Paeonian kings from their silver drachmas and tetradrachmas, and later from bronze coins too. TEYTAÐ denotes that this small silver diobol was of Teutaos, while AYKKEIOY means of Lycaeios. The father of Lycaeios, Agis, was actually the first historically documented king of Paeonia. His coins, however, remain unknown; we only have those of his son. The coins of the latter show Apollo and sometimes even Zeus, or the monarch himself. Hercules strangling the Nemean lion can be seen on the reverse of the tetradrachmas, while the reverse of his drachmas usually shows the image of a lion or a grazing bull. The coins of his successor Patraios are far more varied as far as the repertoire of their imprints is concerned; a cantharus, a bucranium; grapes, a trident, a wreath, a lily, a wild boar's protom and an eagle are only some of them, and all have their specific symbolic significance.
Of particular interest, however, and pregnant with meaning, was the motif of an armed horseman ramming his lance into the body of a fallen adversary, found amongst Patraios's coins. The opponent protects himself with a shield raised in his left hand. Such tetradrachmas have been found at Gorno Cicevo and in the vicinity of Stip. The rider on this coin was actually Ariston, the brother of King Patraios, who accompanied Alexander III of Macedon throughout his Eastern Campaign. Before one of the battles, probably that at Gaugamela, a Persian officer named Satropates appeared before the warriors and, "as was the custom", challenged them to single combat. Ariston accepted this challenge, threw him off his destrier, pierced him with his spear and then hurled the head down before the feet of Alexander with the words: "In my country a deed like this is rewarded with a gold cup."
The Paones were and are well known for their existence in numerous texts..
But to return to the question, who were these Paones?
A pelasgian race ? Doric? or Thracian , Thracian due to their proximity with the Thracians but same goes for the Macedonians and their predecessors.
The son of Pelegon now could he be a Pelasgian or even Phryghian/Bryghian?
Because the Pelasgians were more situated in the region of Epirus and todays southwestern Albania..
Also Herodotus describes the Paonian women famed for they're beauty
by Mardonius the Persian , who took some women of the Paones(the conquered areas of Paonia, which were from the the Doberons tribe mostly in the southeastern areas from) Paonia to Persia with him.
Herodotus also questions their offsprin in his book :
BOOK V
THE FIFTH BOOK OF THE HISTORIES, CALLED TERPSICHORE
"Who then are these Paionians, and where upon the earth do
they dwell?" and he asked them also what they desired, that they had
come to Sardis. They declared to him that they had come to give
themselves up to him, and that Paionia was a country situated upon the
river Strymon, and that the Strymon was not far from the Hellespont,
and finally that they were colonists from the Teucrians of Troy.
Can anyone add some valuable info on the exact origins of the Paones and their customs such as most tribes lived on small wooden villages build on poles above the water surface on the lakes of Doiran ancient Praspias/lake Lychnitis and Prespa lakes..
From Herodotus same source as above mentioned..
and the Paionians, being informed that the Persians were
coming against them, gathered all their powers together and marched
out in the direction of the sea, supposing that the Persians when they
invaded them would make their attack on that side. The Paionians then
were prepared, as I say, to drive off the army of Megabazos when it
came against them; but the Persians hearing that the Paionians had
gathered their powers and were guarding the entrance which lay towards
the sea, directed their course with guides along the upper road; and
passing unperceived by the Paionians they fell upon their cities,
which were left without men, and finding them without defenders they
easily took possession of them. The Paionians when they heard that
their cities were in the hands of the enemy, at once dispersed, each
tribe to its own place of abode, and proceeded to deliver themselves
up to the Persians. Thus then it happened that these tribes of the
Paionians, namely the Siropaionians,[6] the Paioplians and all up to
the lake Prasias, were removed from their place of habitation and
brought to Asia; 16, but those who dwell about mount Pangaion, and
about the Doberians and Agrianians and Odomantians,[7] and about the
lake Prasias itself, were not conquered at all by Megabazos. He tried
however to remove even those who lived in the lake and who had their
dwellings in the following manner:--a platform fastened together and
resting upon lofty piles stood in the middle of the water of the lake,
with a narrow approach to it from the mainland by a single bridge. The
piles which supported the platform were no doubt originally set there
by all the members of the community working together, but since that
time they continue to set them by observance of this rule, that is to
say, every man who marries brings from the mountain called Orbelos
three piles for each wife and sets them as supports; and each man
takes to himself many wives. And they have their dwelling thus, that
is each man has possession of a hut upon the platform in which he
lives and of a trap-door[8] leading through the platform down to the
lake: and their infant children they tie with a rope by the foot, for
fear that they should roll into the water. To their horses and beasts
of burden they give fish for fodder; and of fish there is so great
quantity that if a man open the trap-door and let down an empty basket
by a cord into the lake, after waiting quite a short time he draws it
up again full of fish. Of the fish there are two kinds, and they call
them /paprax/ and /tilon/.
Who can add some valuable info on the mysterious Paones and their existence mostly form 1200 B.C. thru 3/4th c.B.C.
All the best Paul