Phrygians

The Phrygians (Greek: Φρύγες, Phruges or Phryges) were an ancient Indo-European speaking people who inhabited central-western Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) in antiquity.

Ancient Greek authors used "Phrygian" as an umbrella term to describe a vast ethno-cultural complex located mainly in the central areas of Anatolia rather than a name of a single "tribe" or "people", and its ethno-linguistic homogeneity is debatable.^[1] Phrygians were initially dwelling in the southern Balkans – according to Herodotus – under the name of Bryges (Briges), changing it to Phryges after their final migration to Anatolia, via the Hellespont. Many historians support a Phrygian migration from Europe to Asia Minor c. 1200 BC, although Anatolian archaeologists have generally abandoned the idea.^[2] It has been suggested that the Phrygian migration to Asia Minor, mentioned in Greek sources to have occurred shortly after the Trojan War, happened much earlier, and in many stages.^[3]

Phrygia developed an advanced Bronze Age culture. The earliest traditions of Greek music are in part connected to Phrygian music, transmitted through the Greek colonies in Anatolia, especially the Phrygian mode, which was considered to be the warlike mode in ancient Greek music. Phrygian Midas, the king of the "golden touch", was tutored in music by Orpheus himself, according to the myth. Another musical invention that came from Phrygia was the aulos, a reed instrument with two pipes. In classical Greek iconography Paris, a Trojan, is represented as non-Greek by his Phrygian cap, which was also worn by Mithras and survived into modern imagery as the "Liberty cap" of the American and French revolutionaries.

Phrygians spoke the Phrygian language, a member of the Indo-European linguistic family. Modern consensus regards Greek as its closest relative.^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]

^ Oreshko, Rostislav (2020). "The onager kings of Anatolia: Hartapus, Gordis, Muška and the steppe strand in early Phrygian culture" (PDF). Kadmos. 59 (1/2). De Gruyter: 77–128. doi:10.1515/kadmos-2020-0005. S2CID 235451836. pp. 82–83.
^ Cite error: The named reference Drews1995 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Kopanias2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Brixhe, Cl. "Le Phrygien". In Fr. Bader (ed.), Langues indo-européennes, pp. 165-178, Paris: CNRS Editions.
^ Hajnal, Ivo. ""Urgriechisch": Eine Herausforderung für die Methode der Rekonstruktion?" (PDF). Institut für Sprachwissenschaft (in German). Innsbruck, Austria: Universität Innsbruck. p. 8. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[1] Oreshko, Rostislav (2020). "The onager kings of Anatolia: Hartapus, Gordis, Muška and the steppe strand in early Phrygian culture" (PDF). Kadmos. 59 (1/2). De Gruyter: 77–128. doi:10.1515/kadmos-2020-0005. S2CID 235451836. pp. 82–83.

[Drews1995-2] Cite error: The named reference Drews1995 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Kopanias2015-3] Cite error: The named reference Kopanias2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Brixhe_pp._165–178-4] Brixhe, Cl. "Le Phrygien". In Fr. Bader (ed.), Langues indo-européennes, pp. 165-178, Paris: CNRS Editions.

[5] Hajnal, Ivo. ""Urgriechisch": Eine Herausforderung für die Methode der Rekonstruktion?" (PDF). Institut für Sprachwissenschaft (in German). Innsbruck, Austria: Universität Innsbruck. p. 8. Retrieved 4 March 2021.

[:0-6] Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[:1-7] Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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