1. The Greek and the Biblical chronology

11. Mediaeval Matilda as the “ancient” Milthiades

54a. The famous female ruler by the name of Matilda in the XIV century a.d. The troops of the Moreans in the war of 1316 a.d. are led by Matilda, a prominent figure of the epoch, aided by her husband, Louis of Burgundy ([195], pages 222-223). Mark the fact that Matilda is married to a Frenchman (PRS unvocalized).

54b. “Ancient” Greece. The eminent commander Milthiades (male). During the second Persian (P-Russian?) invasion “the Greek troops were led by the talented commander Milthiades, who had spent a sufficient amount of time in Persia” ([766], page 93). We instantly notice the similarity between the names of the mediaeval Matilda and the “ancient” Milthiades, and see the two characters superimposed over each other. We are already familiar with examples of similar confusion in mediaeval chronicles. We must also point out the fact that Matilda is the wife of a Frenchman (PRS, or P-Russian), and that Milthiades is supposed to have lived in Persia for a long time.

55a. Matilda is the opponent of Ferdinand in the XIV century a.d. Matilda becomes the opponent of Ferdinand, who plots against her and Louis ([195], page 223).

55b. The “ancient” Greece. Milthiades fights agains Artaphernes. The enemies of Milthiades are the Persians – Artaphernes and Datis. Bear in mind that Artaphernes (Arta + TRN) is a phantom double of Ferdinand; therefore, the “ancient” balance of power duplicates its mediaeval original.

56a. The landing and the defeat of Ferdinand in the XIV century a.d.

1. 
   Two landings of Ferdinand’s fleet take place in Greece: in 1315 a.d. and in 1316 a.d. ([195], pages 221-223).
   
2. 
   The troops of Ferdinand are put to rout in the battle of 1316 a.d. ([195], page 223.
   

56b. “Ancient” Greece. The landing and the defeat of Artaphernes and Datis.

1. 
   The Persian (P-Russian?) fleet lands in Greece twice: in the alleged years 492 b.c. and 490 b.c. ([766], pages 92-93).
   
2. 
   The defeat of the Persian army led by Artaphernes (Horde + TRN) and Datis ([766], page 93).
   

57a. The fate of Matilda in the XIV century a.d.

1. 
   Matilda the Queen Regent is the victor in this war ([195], page 224).
   
2. 
   The further fate of Matilda is tragic.
   
3. 
   Matilda’s trial.
   
4. 
   The trial took place in 1322 a.d. ([195], p. 224).
   

57b. “Ancient” Greece. The fate of Milthiades.

1. 
   Milthiades is the victor in the war against the Persians and the main hero of the epoch.
   
2. 
   The further fate of Milthiades is tragic.
   
3. 
   The trial of Milthiades.
   
4. 
   The trial took place in the alleged year 489 b.c. ([258], page 184).
   

Commentary. An 1810-year shift reveals ideal concurrence between these famous “ancient” and mediaeval datings in Greek history. The trial of the “ancient” Milthiades winds up in 1321 a.d. instead of 489 b.c., whereas the trial of Matilda takes place in 1322, which is virtually the same year. If we are to remember that Milthiades had died in 489 b.c., shortly after the trial, we shall get a complete coincidence of the “ancient” and mediaeval datings after a shift of 1810 years.

The tragic fate of the “ancient” Milthiades, likewise that of the mediaeval Matilda, is specifically emphasized in the sources. These two characters are very prominent in the history of their respective epochs. For instance, when F. Gregorovius tells us about the fate of the mediaeval Matilda, he makes the following justified observation: “apart from Helen, wife of the noble king Manfred, there is hardly a female character in the entire history of the Frankish Greece – or indeed the entire epoch in question, whose tragic fate would equal hers in the sheer sympathy it invokes in people” ([195], page 224). It would therefore be expedient to learn more details of this mediaeval story.

58a. The trial of Matilda in the XIV century a.d. Matilda was stripped of all power, and had to face the Papal trial in Avignon in 1322. She was even accused of plotting to murder Robert, among other things. Nevertheless, she wasn’t executed, but rather incarcerated in the stronghold of Castel dell’Ovo, where she died shortly afterwards (in 1331, qv in [195], pages 224-225).

58b. “Ancient” Greece. The trial of Milthiades. Milthiades had also been stripped of his powers initially, and his opponents demanded his execution. However, he was let off – allegedly due to his immense services to Athens. The execution was replaced by a tremendous fine. Milthiades died shortly after the trial, in the alleged year 489 b.c. ([258], page 184).

Commentary. Could the “ancient” Milthiades have resembled a woman in some way? Although we appear to have finished with the tale of Milthiades, we shall linger on it for another moment to give an account of a peculiar episode related by Herodotus that pertains to the final part of Milthiades’ biography. We learn that a priestess in a temple of subterranean goddesses had “shown Milthiades some holy relics that no man was ever allowed to lay his eyes on” ([163], 6:135, page 310). The priestess was immediately accused of sacrilege; however, the Pythian oracle “forbade to punish her, declaring that Timo [the alleged culprit – A. F.] was innocent [?! – A. F.]” ([163], 6:135, page 310). How is one supposed to interpret the above?

Could this strange tale be a distant echo of the fact that the “ancient” Milthiades had really been the mediaeval Matilda – female, that is? She would naturally have every right to look at the holy relics of the “female” cult; therefore, Timo the priestess really deserved no punishment, which is why the Pythian oracle failed to see anything criminal in the whole story. Herodotus most probably wasn’t a contemporary of the XIV century events that he tells us about, and earnestly tried to comprehend this rather vague legend, coming up with “explanations” of some sort. Once again we witness the “Trojan Horse effect” in action, when a scribe from a later epoch would transform an aqueduct into a grandiose legend of a gigantic horse assembled of copper, glass and wax, and rather preposterously so. It is easy to understand Herodotus: his work must have post-dated the events in question by some 50-100 years, somewhere around the XV-XVI century a.d. Many facts were forgotten and distorted by the chaotic quills of his predecessors that transformed aqueducts into horses, likewise women into men and vice versa.

Commentary. The chivalresque phalanxes of the Greeks. Let us make another useful observation. V. S. Sergeyev, the author of a textbook on the history of ancient Greece, inadvertently uses the term “chivalresque phalanxes of the Greeks” in reference to the “ancient” wars between the Greeks and the Persians ([766], page 93). However, the chivalresque array of the troops is a typically mediaeval invention. V. S. Sergeyev himself would certainly counter saying that the world “chivalresque” was used for the sake of demonstrativeness – however, the issue is far from being that simple. Anyone interested in military history can soon discover the multiple similarities between the “ancient” Greeks and the mediaeval knights – in armaments as well as tactics ([1217] and [914]).