Were Spartans Phoenicians or Cadmeians? I believe what you are about to read is pretty self-explanatory.
Herodotus:
It happened that at this very time Theras, son of Autesion (whose
father Tisamenus was the son of Thersander, and grandson of Polynices),
was about to lead out a colony from Lacedaemon. This Theras, by birth
a Cadmeian, was uncle on the mother's side to the two sons of Aristodemus,
Procles and Eurysthenes, and, during their infancy, administered in
their right the royal power. When his nephews, however, on attaining
to man's estate, took the government, Theras, who could not bear to
be under the authority of others after he had wielded authority so
long himself, resolved to leave Sparta and cross the sea to join his
kindred. There were in the island now called Thera, but at that time
Calliste, certain descendants of Membliarus, the son of Poeciles,
a Phoenician. (For Cadmus, the son of Agenor, when he was sailing
in search of Europe, made a landing on this island; and, either because
the country pleased him, or because he had a purpose in so doing,
left there a number of Phoenicians, and with them his own kinsman
Membliarus. Calliste had been inhabited by this race for eight generations
of men, before the arrival of Theras from Lacedaemon.)
Theras now, having with him a certain number of men from each of the
tribes, was setting forth on his expedition hitherward. Far from intending
to drive out the former inhabitants, he regarded them as his near
kin, and meant to settle among them. It happened that just at this
time the Minyae, having escaped from their prison, had taken up their
station upon Mount Taygetum; and the Lacedaemonians, wishing to destroy
them, were considering what was best to be done, when Theras begged
their lives, undertaking to remove them from the territory. His prayer
being granted, he took ship, and sailed, with three triaconters, to
join the descendants of Membliarus. He was not, however, accompanied
by all the Minyae, but only by some few of them. The greater number
fled to the land of the Paroreats and Caucons, whom they drove out,
themselves occupying the region in six bodies, by which were afterwards
built the towns of Lepreum, Macistus, Phryxae, Pyrgus, Epium, and
Nudium; whereof the greater part were in my day demolished by the
Eleans.
The island was called Thera after the name of its founder. This same
Theras had a son, who refused to cross the sea with him; Theras therefore
left him behind, "a sheep," as he said, "among wolves." From this
speech his son came to be called Oeolycus, a name which afterwards
grew to be the only one by which he was known. This Oeolycus was the
father of Aegeus, from whom sprang the Aegidae, a great tribe in Sparta.
Herodotus:
It happened that at this very time Theras, son of Autesion (whose
father Tisamenus was the son of Thersander, and grandson of Polynices),
was about to lead out a colony from Lacedaemon. This Theras, by birth
a Cadmeian, was uncle on the mother's side to the two sons of Aristodemus,
Procles and Eurysthenes, and, during their infancy, administered in
their right the royal power. When his nephews, however, on attaining
to man's estate, took the government, Theras, who could not bear to
be under the authority of others after he had wielded authority so
long himself, resolved to leave Sparta and cross the sea to join his
kindred. There were in the island now called Thera, but at that time
Calliste, certain descendants of Membliarus, the son of Poeciles,
a Phoenician. (For Cadmus, the son of Agenor, when he was sailing
in search of Europe, made a landing on this island; and, either because
the country pleased him, or because he had a purpose in so doing,
left there a number of Phoenicians, and with them his own kinsman
Membliarus. Calliste had been inhabited by this race for eight generations
of men, before the arrival of Theras from Lacedaemon.)
Theras now, having with him a certain number of men from each of the
tribes, was setting forth on his expedition hitherward. Far from intending
to drive out the former inhabitants, he regarded them as his near
kin, and meant to settle among them. It happened that just at this
time the Minyae, having escaped from their prison, had taken up their
station upon Mount Taygetum; and the Lacedaemonians, wishing to destroy
them, were considering what was best to be done, when Theras begged
their lives, undertaking to remove them from the territory. His prayer
being granted, he took ship, and sailed, with three triaconters, to
join the descendants of Membliarus. He was not, however, accompanied
by all the Minyae, but only by some few of them. The greater number
fled to the land of the Paroreats and Caucons, whom they drove out,
themselves occupying the region in six bodies, by which were afterwards
built the towns of Lepreum, Macistus, Phryxae, Pyrgus, Epium, and
Nudium; whereof the greater part were in my day demolished by the
Eleans.
The island was called Thera after the name of its founder. This same
Theras had a son, who refused to cross the sea with him; Theras therefore
left him behind, "a sheep," as he said, "among wolves." From this
speech his son came to be called Oeolycus, a name which afterwards
grew to be the only one by which he was known. This Oeolycus was the
father of Aegeus, from whom sprang the Aegidae, a great tribe in Sparta.
Comment