Leleges

The Leleges (/ˈlɛlɪz/; Greek: Λέλεγες) were an aboriginal people of the Aegean region, before the Greeks arrived. They were distinct from another pre-Hellenic people of the region, the Pelasgians. The exact areas to which they were native are uncertain, since they were apparently pre-literate and the only references to them are in ancient Greek sources. These references are casual and (it is alleged) sometimes fictitious.[1] Likewise, little is known about the language of the Leleges.

Many Greek authors link the Leleges to the Carians of south-west Anatolia.[2] Homer names the Leleges among the Trojan allies alongside the Carians, Pelasgians, Paeonians and Gaucones.[3]

  1. ^ Dowden 1992, p. 58.
  2. ^ Herodotus. 1.171. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ Homer. Iliad. Il. 10.429.