Historic Trojan war- Salmoneus was Uhha-Ziti, Menelaus was Targasnalli, Agamemnon was Mashuiluwa

 Historic Trojan war- Salmoneus was Uhha-Ziti, Menelaus was Targasnalli, Agamemnon was Mashuiluwa by Eulalio Diocson Eguia Jr.

This is the transcript to my Youtube video published on April 6, 2024. 

The Trojan War was a legendary conflict in Greek mythology between the Achaean Greeks against the city of Troy. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology, and it has been narrated through many works of Greek literature, most notably Homer's Iliad. The core of the Iliad (Books II – XXIII) describes a period of four days and two nights in the tenth year of the decade-long siege of Troy. 

The key to unlocking the historic Trojan war in my opinion, is to first identify who exactly the Trojans, the Amazons, and the Achaeans were in history because these were the major players in the Iliad. In my previous video titled “Historical Troy was in Eupatoria near the Amazon city of Themyscira on the Black Sea southern coast”, I talked about the alliance between the Trojans and the Amazons during the war, and how close was Themyscira, the capital of the Amazons, to the city of Troy (which I identified as Eupatoria), just 65 kilometers away from each other.  

In that video I concluded based on Homer’s descriptions that the city of Troy must be located near the conjunction of two rivers, namely, Scamander (which I identified as the Iris or Yesilirmak river) and the Simoeis river (which I identified as the Lycus or Kelkit river). And Eupatoria, just like Troy, was located just south of where the Lycus flows into the Iris river. Both Eupatoria and Themyscira were near the southern coast of the Black Sea in Turkey in a region also known as the Pontic region of Asia Minor  in northern Anatolia, Turkey. 

Also, in my other video titled “Troy was Hayasa, Amazon was Azzi, Anniya was Achilles & Mursili's eclipse on Trojan war's 10th year”, I identified the Trojan-Amazon alliance as the Hayasa-Azzi confederation located in the Pontic region of Asia Minor where also Eupatoria and Themyscira were located. I specifically identified Hayasa as Troy, and Azzi as Amazon.

I ended that video by saying that Mursili II’s historical solar eclipse was visible at the mouth of the Yesilirmak river (where according to Homer the Trojan war battles were fought) on August 2, 979 BC at 2:31:30 UTC just 17 minutes after sunrise. That day also marked the death of Patroclus, a close friend of Achilles, during the 10th year of the Trojan war. I dated Mursili’s eclipse using Stellarium in my video titled “Redating Mursili II's solar eclipse to August 2, 979 BC means Hittite chronology is 334 years too early”. This eclipse occurred in the latter part of Mursili’s 10th year. Thus, Mursili’s 1st year when he ascended the Hittite throne, coincided with the first year of the Trojan war. 

In my video titled “Historic Trojan war- Priam was Hakkani, Dymas was Tudhaliya, Otreus was Suppiluliuma, Asius was Zida”, I identified several historical personages and their associated character names in the Iliad which documented the Trojan war. Hakkani was a king of Hayasa who I believe to be the Trojan king Priam, while Tudhaliya and Suppiluliuma were Hittite Kings who I believe were the Phrygian kings Dymas and Otreus respectively. Zida was a Hittite prince who I believe was the Phrygian prince Asius. The Hittites called their kingdom Hattusa which in my research was also the Phrygia of Homer’s Iliad.  

Menelaus, Achilles, Agamemnon, and Odysseus were some of the main heroes of the Achaeans mentioned in Homer’s Iliad. And in my opinion, the key to identify their historical names is to first know exactly who the Achaeans were. The Ionians were one of the four major tribes that the Greeks considered themselves to be divided into during the ancient period; the other three being the Dorians, Aeolians, and Achaeans. Furthermore, the Ionian dialect was one of the three major linguistic divisions of the Hellenic world, together with the Dorian and Aeolian dialects. Note that there is no such thing as an Achaean dialect.

According to historians, the Achaeans inhabited the region of Achaea in the northern Peloponnese, and played an active role in the colonization of Italy, founding the city of Kroton. Unlike the other major tribes, the Achaeans did not have a separate dialect in the Classical period, but were instead using a form of Doric or Dorian. In my opinion, if the Achaeans in the northern Peloponnese spoke Doric Greek, then they should be considered as Dorians, not Achaeans. So who do I believe the Achaeans really were?

Because I identified Troy, Amazon, and Phrygia as regions in Turkey, namely, Hayasa, Azzi, and Hattusa respectively, I believe the Achaeans were ancient Greeks who migrated to western Turkey and its nearby islands of Imbros, Tenedos, and Lesbos. (Lesbos is one Greek island in the Aegean sea which is being claimed by Turkey). Greeks have been living in what is now Turkey continuously since the middle 2nd millennium BC. Following upheavals in mainland Greece during the Bronze Age Collapse, the Aegean coast of Asia Minor was heavily settled by Ionian and Aeolian Greeks and became known as Ionia and Aeolia.   

Now you might ask, if the Achaeans were living in mainland western Turkey, why do they have to board ships to go to northeastern Turkey where I believe Hayasa-Troy was located? Between western Turkey and northeastern Turkey, there were several kingdoms that the Achaeans of western Turkey had to cross first before reaching Troy. Foremost of these kingdoms was Phrygia or the Hittites who were allies of Troy, including the territories that the Hittites controlled way back then which was expansive. Thus the only safe course for the Achaeans to travel was through the Black Sea.

In my video titled "Trojan war - Clytemnestra was Muwatti, Pollux was Telipinu, Castor was Piyassili, Leda was Malnigal”  I identified several more historical personages and their associated character names in the Iliad. Malnigal, who I identified with Leda, was the Babylonian wife of the Hittite king Suppiluliuma, who I identified with Tyndareus. Muwatti and Piyassili (who I identified with Clytemnestra and Castor respectively) were Suppiluliuma’s children with Malnigal. While Telipinu (who I identified with Pollux) was Suppiluliuma’s step-son with Malnigal. In this video I will now identify Salmoneus, Agamemnon, Menelaus, Chryses son of Chryseis, and Aegisthus. 

Suppiluliuma I married his daughter Muwatti to Mašḫuiluwa of the Arzawan state Mira. I believe Muwatti was Clytemnestra, while Mašḫuiluwa was Agamemnon, and in this video, I will explain why. Arzawa was a region and political entity in Western Anatolia during the latter part of the Bronze Age (which in Eurasia was circa 2700-700 BC). It should be noted that I dated the 10th year of the Trojan war circa 979 BC during the latter part of the Bronze Age. Because Arzawa was located very near the Aegean islands of Greece, important historical events in Arzawa became assimilated in Greek mythology making it appear that these events happened in Greece or the Aegean islands instead.  

One example was the story of Uhha-Ziti, the last independent king of Arzawa, a Bronze Age kingdom of western Anatolia. In 1322 BC of the middle chronology as dated by historians, which corresponds to Mursili’s 9th year, the Hittite king in his second military campaign season, attacked Arzawa's border and then invaded Arzawa. Uhha-Ziti at this time had made his base at Apasa, Arzawa’s capital. During Mursili's march, a meteorite struck Apasa and wounded Uhha-Ziti, as recorded in the Annals of Mursili:

"The mighty Storm God, My Lord, showed his divinely righteous power and hurled a thunderbolt. All of my troops saw the thunderbolt. All the land of Arzawa saw the thunderbolt. The thunderbolt passed (us) and struck the land of Arzawa. It struck Uḫḫa-Ziti’s (capital) city Apaša. It settled in Uḫḫa-Ziti’s knees, and he became ill."

In his wounded state, Uhha-Ziti could no longer lead the charge; therefore, having allied with the King of Ahhiuwa (which historians associate with the Achaeans of  Mycenaean Greece), Uhha-Ziti and his sons fled to the nearby Ahhiuwa-controlled islands. Uhha-Ziti died during Mursili’s invasion. 

This recorded historical myth had its counterpart in Greek mythology: Salmoneus founded a city in Eleia (Elis) on the banks of the river Alpheius and called it Salmonia after his own name. Salmoneus, being an overbearing man and impious, came to be hated by his subjects for he ordered them to worship him under the name of Zeus. For this sin of hubris, Zeus eventually struck him down with his thunderbolt and destroyed the town.

Salmoneus was formerly a Thessalian prince as son of King Aeolus of Aeolia. This Aeolus was sometimes confused (or identified) with the Aeolus who is the keeper of the winds encountered by Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey. I actually believe Salmoneus’ father Aeolus was one and the same as the Aeolus in Odyssey, and therefore a contemporary of Odysseus. This is because I identified most of the historical people associated with Mursili with some of the most important characters of the Iliad, which included Odysseus. 

Salmoneus was also connected with the myth of Jason the Argonaut, the son of Aeson. Pelias (Aeson's half-brother), was the progeny of a union between their shared mother, Tyro, the daughter of Salmoneus, and the sea god Poseidon. The time which the Greek traditions assign to the Argonauts is about one generation before the Trojan war. This led me to believe Uhha-Ziti was a very old man when he was struck by a thunderbolt, and that his daughter Tyro must have married and gave birth at a very young age. His advanced age coupled by the relatively young age when Mursili became king, was the reason why he called Musili a “child”. 

Hapalla, also written as Haballa, was a kingdom in central-western Anatolia around the middle of the 14th century BC as dated by historians. Hapalla was one of the Arzawa states, of which it was the easternmost. The first sovereign known from Hapalla was Targasnalli who, after the failure of the uprising of Uhha-Ziti against Hittite monarch Muršili II (which ended sometime 1319 BC during Mursili’s 12th year but started in his 9th year), agreed to submit again to the authority of Hattuša and therefore was "...re-installed on the throne of Hapalla by the Hittite ruler". 

From the subsequent treaty of Kupanta-Kurunta, we learn that Targasnalli was still on the throne of Hapalla around 1310 BC during Murisili’s 21st year (or 11 years after the Trojan war). Note that all these dates are based on current Hittite chronology which I believe was 334 years too early. See my video titled “Redating Mursili II's solar eclipse to August 2, 979 BC means Hittite chronology is 334 years early!”. 

Also, historians have 2 conflicting chronologies dating Mursili II’s reign, 1330–1295 BC (using middle chronology) or 1321–1295 BC (using short chronology), which only highlights the historians’ confusion with their dating of events. Now keep in mind that the start of Mursili’s reign coincided with the start of the 10 year Trojan war according to my research. So dating events based on Mursili’s regnal years tied to the Trojan war years will be independent of the errors which the current Hittite chronology have.

Since the Achaeans fought the Trojans who were supported by the Phrygians during the war, the Achaeans became a de facto enemy of the Phrygians who I believe to be the Hittites led by Mursili that time. After the Achaeans won the Trojan war, there was no reason for them to continue fighting the Phrygians. And this is why in the 12th year of Mursili, or 2 years after the Trojan war, Hapalla agreed to submit again to the Hittite authority. 

On the other hand, the Hittites, under Mursili, recognizing the utter defeat of the Trojans, also desired peace with the Achaeans. This made the remnants among the Trojans which included Aeneas, bitter against both the Achaeans and the Hittites, and in my previous video titled “Dido was Hiram Abiff's widowed mother, Rapha (father of Goliath) was Hercules & the Sea Peoples descended from Aeneas” I showed how the Sea Peoples, who were descendants of Aeneas, succeeded in destroying Hattusa and Arzawa, respectively, the kingdoms of the Hittites and the Achaeans.

I believe Targasnalli, the sovereign of Hapalla, was Menelaus who returned to Sparta with Helen 8 years after he had left Troy. This is consistent with Targasnalli still being on the throne of Hapalla around 1310 BC during Murisili’s 21st year (or 11 years after the Trojan war). And according to Homer’s Odyssey, Menelaus and Helen were still ruling Sparta shortly before Odysseus returned to Ithaca from Troy, 10 years after the Trojan war. Because Menelaus and Helen had no male heir, while they were away, Sparta was being governed by Chryses, Menelaus’ nephew by his brother Agamemnon and Chryseis,  Agamemnon’s former slave, who agreed to submit again to the Hittite authority 2 years after the Trojan war. Let me explain why.

Mira was one of the semi-autonomous vassal state kingdoms that emerged in western Anatolia (Asia Minor) following the defeat and partition of the larger kingdom of Arzawa by the victorious Suppiluliuma, father of Mursili, of the Hittite Empire. Kupanta-Kurunta was believed to be born at Mira in western Anatolia, in one of the princely families. His father joined a coup against king Mašḫuiluwa of Mira. The Hittite king Suppiluliuma I married Mašḫuiluwa to his daughter Muwatti and reinstalled him. Kupanta-Kurunta's father apparently died or was exiled soon after. Mašḫuiluwa then asked Suppiluliuma's successor Mursili II if he could adopt Kupanta-Kurunta as a son. 

Mira remained a Hittite ally against Uhha-Ziti of Arzawa; but two years after Mursili's eclipse (which would mean 1310 BC using the short chronology and two years after the Trojan war), Mira rebelled under influence from "Great House Father" (probably an adventurer and usurper from Masa). Mursili quashed this rebellion, transferred Mašḫuiluwa to a priesthood in Hittite territory, and installed Kupanta-Kurunta as king. These were the events in Mira as recreated by historians.

Now there is an obvious inconsistency in the historical account here, or a wrong arrangement of the series of events. After all, why would Mašḫuiluwa ask Mursili if he can adopt Kupanta-Kurunta after Kupanta-Kurunta and his father just staged a coup against him? In my research, Mašḫuiluwa was Agamemnon and Kupanta-Kurunta was Chryses, his son with Chryseis, a Trojan woman, the daughter of another Chryses, a Trojan priest of Apollo. After Chryses’ mother Chryseis was released shortly as a prisoner and allowed to return to her hometown, she gave birth to Chryses, her son with Agamemnon. 

Many years later, Orestes arrived with Iphigenia (both children of Agamemnon with Clytemnestra) to Zminthe and were seized by Chryses, who decided to return them to King Thoas and the Taurians. But through his grandfather Chryses, he learned that they were also children of Agamemnon. So Chryses, joining his forces to those of his half-brother Orestes, attacked the Taurians and killed their king Thoas. After this, Chryses goes with Orestes and Iphigenia to Mycenae to visit the grave of their father Agamemnon. 

As you can see, the events in Mira as recreated by historians were different from the Greek mythology as narrated by Homer. First of all, Mašḫuiluwa, who I believe was Agamemnon, was not killed after returning from the Trojan war, but was only transferred by Mursili to become a priest in the Hittite territory. Because the rebellion of Mira against Mursili and Mashuiluwa that involved a usurper called "Great House Father" happened 2 years after the Trojan war, this means Agamemnon must have returned no later than 2 years after the war. When Chryses and Orestes, together with Chryses’ army marched to Mycenae, Agamemnon was still alive and they were not visiting the grave of their father. 

Orestes probably asked Chryses’ help to liberate Agamemnon from Clytemnestra (Agamemnon’s wife who I believe was Muwatti, the daughter of Suppiluliuma). She had a love affair with Aegisthus, her husband's cousin while her husband was fighting in the Trojan war. When Kupanta-Kurunta (or Chryses) marched to Mira with his “father”, it was not to stage a coup against Mašḫuiluwa (or Agamemnon) but to liberate him from “Great House Father". The “father” who marched with Kupanta-Kurunta was probably his stepfather who married his mother Chryseis after giving birth to him.

"Great-House-Father" was Aegisthus, son of Thyestes who had a rivalry with the house of Atreus (father of Agamemnon) for the throne of Mycenae. Aegisthus rebelled against Mursili when he took the throne of Mira illegally with the help of his lover Clytemnestra, the adulterous wife of Agamemnon. When Kupanta-Kurunta (or Chryses) liberated Mašḫuiluwa (or Agamemnon), Mašḫuiluwa later asked Mursili if he can adopt Kupanta-Kurunta as his legitimate son and probable heir, and not just his illegitimate son with Chryseis, who was his captive slave. 

Mursili, who was the Phrygian king during the Trojan war and was an ally of the Trojans which included Chryses - grandson of a Trojan priest with the same name, naturally agreed and even went so far as to make Kupanta-Kurunta the new king of Mira. This happened 2 years after the Trojan war, when the rebellion by "Great House Father", or Aegisthus, was quashed by Mursili with the help of Kupanta-Kurunta. 

At this time, Menelaus, or Targasnalli, king of Hapalla, was still traveling in his 8 year journey to Sparta coming from Troy. I believe Mursili also made Kupanta-Kurunta (or Chryses) temporary king of Hapalla (or Homer’s Sparta) while Menelaus was gone. And during this time Hapalla became subject again to the authority of the Hittites after having a peace treaty with Kupanta-Kurunta 2 years after the Trojan war. This is how I recreated the events in Mira, based on my research.

According to Greek mythology, Orestes, son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, murdered his mother, and went mad afterwards after going to exile for several years. This leaves Chryses as the only remaining son of Agamemnon to become his heir. Regarding as to why in Homer’s account of the Trojan war, Agamemnon was “killed” rather than transferred by Mursili to become a priest in the Hittite territory, in my opinion, it was in order to hide the dishonor of Agamemnon, a great Greek warrior and king, who submitted to become a priest of a foreign god in a foreign land.