Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 22, 2026

Selloi

The Selloi were an ancient Greek tribe inhabiting Epirus in ancient Greece, in a region between Dodona—site of the oldest reported oracle—and the Achelous river; Aristotle named the area ancient Hellas. A group who were formerly called Graecians and later Hellenes lived there as well. According to Homer, they were priests of the Dodonian Zeus. Classicist and linguist Steve Reece has traced the Homeric name Selloi Σελλοί back to a historical tribe named Helloi Ἑλλοί. During the oral period of epic transmission one of Homer's bardic predecessors misheard a formulaic expression in which the name was embedded and metanalyzed "Helloi" as "Selloi."

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The Selloi (Greek: Σελλοί) were an ancient Greek tribe1 inhabiting Epirus in ancient Greece, in a region between Dodona—site of the oldest reported oracle—and the Achelous river; Aristotle named the area ancient Hellas. A group who were formerly called Graecians and later Hellenes lived there as well.2 According to Homer, they were priests of the Dodonian Zeus.3 Classicist and linguist Steve Reece has traced the Homeric name Selloi Σελλοί back to a historical tribe named Helloi Ἑλλοί (related to Hellas, Hellenes, etc). During the oral period of epic transmission one of Homer's bardic predecessors misheard a formulaic expression in which the name was embedded and metanalyzed "Helloi" as "Selloi."4

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Herman, Hansen Mogens (2005). An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis. Oxford University Press USA - OSO. p. 338. ISBN 978-0-19-151825-6. OCLC 1119608064.
  2. Aristotle, Meteorologica, Book 1 Part 14
  3. "King Zeus, lord of Dodona, god of the Pelasgi, who dwellest afar, you who hold wintry Dodona in your sway, where your prophets the Selloi dwell around you." Homer, Iliad, book 16, 233–235.
  4. Reece, Steve. "Whence the Selloi of Dodona?" in Steve Reece, "Homer's Winged Words" (Leiden: Brill, 2009) 201-215.
Further reading

Further reading

  • Van Windekens, Albert J. (1961). "The Selloi at Dodona". In: Names: a Journal of Onomastics, 9:2, pp. 91-94. DOI: 10.1179/nam.1961.9.2.91