The bloodthirsty ancient Greek tribe Avantes that was shipwrecked in the Keravnia Mountains

The Avantes was a warlike and bloodthirsty ancient Greek tribe that remained in history, among other things, for the shaved heads of its warriors and the bravery they displayed in battle.

Shaved heads and ponytails

Plutarch describes their habit of shaving the front of their heads "... so that he would not provide any insight into the wars from the hairs...” in order to prevent opponents from grabbing their hair during battle, and so they preferred to leave their hair in a “ponytail”.

The king of Athens, Theseus, imitating the Avantes, shaved himself, dedicating his beard to the oracle of Delphi, while Alexander the Great used the same tactic in the 4th century BC for his own army (Plutarch, Life of Theseus, 1.1 – 1.4).

After the Trojan War, the Avantes were displaced by the Ionians. Most of the Ionians settled, mainly in Central Euboea, together with the Kouretes, who spread the processing of copper and other metals to the island. Alongside the Ionians of Central Euboea, the Thessalian-origin Ellopians settled in the northern part of the island, and the Pelasgian-origin Dryopes settled in the southern part.

The leleges are also Mentioned as inhabitants of Evia. According to strabo, karystos And styra Were inhabited by Peoples coming from the tetrapolis of marathon. The autopsy In Ancient kerinthos, in Northern Evia, is Impressive. It was an Important city and port of the Avantes, from where they sailed with their ships to take part in the greek campaign against Troy.

The latest scientific research, combining ancient traditions with the latest findings of Archaeology, Linguistics, etc., has concluded that the Avantes were an ancient Greek-speaking tribe, one of the first to appear (along with the Danaans) in the Greek region, and for this reason these two tribes are characterized as Proto-Hellenic.

The most convincing interpretation for the origin and appearance of the Avants, based on modern scientific data, comes from professor and academic Mich. Sakellariou (History Of The Greek Nation – Vol. 1, Pp. 362-364) and states the following:

«Το όνομα των Αβάντων είναι ινδοευρωπαϊκό τόσο στη μορφή (με επίθημα – ντ -) όσο και στο θέμα. Με το όνομα Άβας μας είναι γνωστοί δύο ποταμοί, ο ένας νότια από τον Καύκασο, ο άλλος στην Ιταλία. Άρα σ’ αυτό το όνομα περιέχεται το ινδοευρωπαϊκό θέμα ab – “νερό, ποτάμι”. Από την άλλη πλευρά, τα τοπωνύμια Αρέθουσα και Κάναθος, στην Εύβοια και σ’ άλλα μέρη της Ελλάδος όπου κατοίκησαν Άβαντες, παρουσιάζουν θ στη θέση του ινδοευρωπαϊκού dh, σύμφωνα με ελληνικό φωνητικό νόμο, ενώ η θρακική και άλλες ινδοευρωπαϊκές γλώσσες έχουν στην ίδια θέση δ. Άρα η “Ιλιάς” μας δίνει μια πραγματική και αληθινή μαρτυρία για την εθνική θέση των Αβάντων και επομένως ο Αριστοτέλης (και ο Αρριανός σημ. ΔΕΕ), έσφαλαν που τους θεωρούσαν Θράκες, παρασυρμένοι, φαίνεται, από το γεγονός ότι η πόλη Άβα, όπως και άλλες θέσεις της Φωκίδος, κατοικήθηκαν πραγματικά από Θράκες που επέδραμαν στην Ελλάδα στο τέλος της Μυκηναϊκής Εποχής (σημ. ΔΕΕ: γύρω στο 1200 π.Χ.)».

The shipwreck in the Keravnia Mountains

According to Homer, the Avantes used spears to fight "from the herd" and often came to blows with the enemy. He also mentions (Rhapsody II verse 542) that the Avantes only left hair behind, in this way they stood out from the Achaeans who, as seen in the later representations on vases, had long beards.

Homer says that their leader was Elephenorus, son of Chalcodon, grandson of Avandas: "Τους φοβερούς Άβαντες που κατέχουν την Εύβοια με τις πόλεις της, Χαλκίδα, Ερέτρια και Ιστιαία πλούσια σε αμπέλια, την Κέρινθο στη θάλασσα και την οχυρωμένη κώμη του Δίου. Μαζί τους ήρθαν επίσης οι άνδρες από την Κάρυστο και τη Στύρα. Ο Ελεφήνορας από τη γενιά του Άρη ήταν ο αρχηγός τους. Ήταν ο γιος του Χαλκώδοντα, που βασίλευε πάνω σε όλους τους Άβαντες. Μαζί του ήρθαν ναυτικό και πεζικό με μακρυά μαλλιά, γενναίοι πολεμιστές που θα κάρφωναν ευχαρίστως οποιουσδήποτε εχθρούς με τα μακρυά και αστραφτερά τους δόρατα. Από αυτούς ήρθαν 50 πλοία».

According to the dictionary of Greek archaeology, which cites references by Herodotus, Strabo, Homer and Plutarch for the entry,on their return, the Avantes wandered with 8 ships, and were shipwrecked in the Keravnia Mountains.

Avantes, λαὸς ἐκ Θρᾴκης ὁρμώμενος ἢ ἀνήκων εἰς τὸν Ἰωνικὸν δεσμὸν (Ἡρδ. Α, 146)· διὰ τῆς Φωκίδος δ’ εἰσῆλθον εἰς Εὔβοιαν, καὶ ἐθεωροῦντο ὡς τῆς νήσου οἱ ἀρχαιότατοι κάτοικοι (Στρβ. 1). Ἐκεῖθεν δὲ μετὰ 40 νηῶν, καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν ὁδηγίαν τοῦ Ἐλεφήνορος, ἔπλευσαν μετὰ τῶν λοιπῶν Ἑλλήνων κατὰ τῆς Τροίας (Ὁμ. Ἰλ. Β, 536), συμπαραλαβόντες καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ Θησέως (Πλούτ. Θησ. ΙΣΤ)· ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ἐπιστροφὴν πλανηθέντες μετὰ 8 πλοίων, ἐρρίφθησαν εἰς τὰ Κεραύνια ὄρη. Περιγράφονται δ’ ὡς ἄγριοί τινες καὶ μακρὰν τρέφοντες κόμην («ὄπισθεν κομόωντες»).

Rendering in modern Greek: The Avantes they were a people who either came from Thrace or belonged to the Ionian League. They entered Euboea through Phocis, and were considered the most ancient inhabitants of the island. From there, with 40 ships and under the leadership of Elephenor, they set out with the rest of the Greeks against Troy, taking with them the sons of Theseus. On their return, they wandered with 8 ships, and were shipwrecked in the Keraunian Mountains. They are described as wild and long-haired.

Traces of the tribe are lost in the period after the Trojan War. Some scholars claim that they moved to Thesprotia, although this cannot be proven beyond doubt.