See also:

• MESSENIA (Gr. M€ rcr vrl or M€o o vta)

MESSENIA (Gr. M€ rcr vrl or M€o o vta)  , the S.W. See also:

• DISTRICT

district of the Peloponnese, bounded on the E. by Mt See also:

• TAYGETUS (Tavyeros or Tairyerov, mod. St Elias or Pentedaktylon)

Taygetus, on the N. by the See also:

• RIVER

river Neda and the Arcadian Mountains, on the S. and W. by the See also:

• SEA (in O. Eng. sae, a common Teutonic word; cf. Ger. See, Dutch Zee, &c.; the ultimate source is uncertain)
• SEA, COMMAND OF THE

sea . Its See also:

• AREA

area is some 825,000 acres, considerably less than that of See also:

• SHROPSHIRE (SALOP)

Shropshire or See also:

• WILTSHIRE [WILTS]

Wiltshire . Historically and economically its most important See also:

• PART

part is the See also:

• GREAT

great See also:

• PLAIN (O. Fr. plain, from Lat. plenum)

plain, consisting of two distinct portions, watered by the river Pamisus (mod . Pirnatza) and its affluents . This is the most fertile See also:

• TRACT (from Lat. tractare, to treat of a matter, through Provencal tractat and Ital. trattato)

tract in See also:

• GREECE

Greece, and at the See also:

• PRESENT

present See also:

• DAY (O. Eng. dreg, Ger. Tag; according to the New English Dictionary, " in no way related to the Lat. dies")
• DAY, JOHN (1574-1640?)
• DAY, THOMAS (1748-1789)

day produces oranges, citrons, almonds, See also:

• FIGS

figs, grapesand See also:

• OLIVES, MOUNT OF, or MOUNT OLIVET ("Opus 'EXc uwos or riov 'EXauav; mod. Jebel-et-Tur)

olives in great abundance and of excellent quality . The plain, is bounded on the See also:

• NORTH
• NORTH, BARONS
• NORTH, MARIANNE (1830—1890)
• NORTH, ROGER (1653-1734)
• NORTH, SIR THOMAS (1535?-16o1?)

north by the Nomian Mountains (mod . Tetrasi, 5210 ft.) and their See also:

• WESTERLY

westerly See also:

• EXTENSION (Lat. ex, out ; tendere, to stretch)

extension, on the See also:

• WEST
• WEST, BENJAMIN (1738-1820)
• WEST, NICHOLAS (1461-1533)

west by the mountains of Cyparissia (4000 ft.), a See also:

• SOUTHERN

southern continuation of which forms the See also:

• SOUTH
• SOUTH, ROBERT (1634–1716)

south-west See also:

• PENINSULA
• PENINSULA (Lat. paeninsula, from paene, almost, and insula, an island)

peninsula of the Morea, attaining its greatest height in Mt Mathia (mod . Lyk6dimo 316o ft.) . Off the south See also:

• COAST (from Lat. costa, a rib, side)

coast of. this peninsula See also:

• LIE, JONAS LAURITZ EDEMIL (1833—1908)
• LIE, MARIUS SOPHUS (1842–1899)

lie the three . Oenussae islands and the islet of . Theganussa (Venetik6) . In spite of its See also:

• LONG, GEORGE (1800-1879)
• LONG, JOHN DAVIS (1838– )

long coast-See also:

• LINE

line, See also:

• MESSENIA (Gr. M€ rcr vrl or M€o o vta)

Messenia has no See also:

• GOOD, JOHN MASON (1764-1827)

good harbours except the See also:

• BAY

Bay of See also:

• PYLOS (mod. Navarino)

Pylos (See also:

• NAVARINO, BATTLE OF

Navarino), and has never played an important part in See also:

• GREEK
• GREEK, ETRUSCAN AND

Greek See also:

• NAVAL

naval See also:

• HISTORY

history .

The earliest inhabitants of Messenia are said to have been See also:

• PELASGIANS

Pelasgians and See also:

• LELEGES

Leleges (qq.v.), of whom the latter had their See also:

• CAPITAL (i.e. capital stock or fund)
• CAPITAL (Lat. caput, head)

capital at Andania . Then came an Aeolo-Minyan See also:

• IMMIGRATION (from Lat. in, into, and tnigrare, to depart)

immigration, which apparently extended to Messenia, though the Pylos of See also:

• NESTOR
• NESTOR (c. 1056-c. 1114)

Nestor almost certainly See also:

• LAY

lay in Triphylia, and not at the site which in historic times See also:

• BORE

bore that name . In the Homeric poems eastern Messenia is represented as under the See also:

• RULE

rule of See also:

• MENELAUS

Menelaus of See also:

• SPARTA (Gr. Eirapril or AaKe5atycav)

Sparta, while the western coast is under the Neleids of Pylos, but after Menelaus's See also:

• DEATH

death the Messenian frontier was pushed eastwards a's' far as Taygetus . A See also:

• BODY

body of See also:

• DORIANS

Dorians under Cresphontes invaded the See also:

• COUNTRY (from the Mid. Eng. contre or contrie, and O. Fr. cuntree; Late Lat. contrata, showing the derivation from contra, opposite, over against, thus the tract of land which fronts the sight, cf. Ger. Gegend, neighbourhood)

country from See also:

• ARCADIA

Arcadia, and, taking..as their capital Stenyclarus in the See also:

• NORTHERN

northern plain, extended first their See also:

• SUZERAINTY

suzerainty and then their rule over the whole district . The task apparently proved an easy one, and the Dorians blending with the previous inhabitants produced a single Messenian See also:

• RACE

race with a strong See also:

• NATIONAL

national feeling . But the fertility of the See also:

• SOIL

soil, the warm and genial See also:

• CLIMATE

climate,. the mingling of races and the See also:

• ABSENCE (Lat. absentia)

absence of opposition, combined to render the Messenians no match for their See also:

• HARDY, ALEXANDRE (1569?-1631)
• HARDY, SIR THOMAS DUFFUS (1804-1878)
• HARDY, SIR THOMAS MASTERMAN
• HARDY, THOMAS (1840- )

hardy and warlike neighbours of Sparta . See also:

• WAR
• WAR (O. Eng. werre, Fr. guerre, of Teutonic origin; cf. O.H.G. werran, to confound)

War See also:

• BROKE, or BROOKE, ARTHUR (d. 1563)
• BROKE, SIR PHILIP BOWES VERE, BART

broke out—in consequence, it was said, of the See also:

• MURDER

murder of the Spartan See also:

• KING
• KING (O. Eng. cyning, abbreviated into cyng, cing; cf. O. H. G. chun- kuning, chun- kunig, M.H.G. kiinic, kiinec, kiinc, Mod. Ger. Konig, O. Norse konungr, kongr, Swed. konung, kung)
• KING [OF OCKHAM], PETER KING, 1ST BARON (1669-1734)
• KING, CHARLES WILLIAM (1818-1888)
• KING, CLARENCE (1842–1901)
• KING, EDWARD (1612–1637)
• KING, EDWARD (1829–1910)
• KING, HENRY (1591-1669)
• KING, RUFUS (1755–1827)
• KING, THOMAS (1730–1805)
• KING, WILLIAM (1650-1729)
• KING, WILLIAM (1663–1712)

king Teleclus by the Messenians—which, in spite of the heroism of King Euphaes and his successor See also:

• ARISTODEMUS (8th century s.c.)

Aristodemus (q.v.) ended in the subjection of Messenia to Sparta (c . 720 B.C.) . Two generations later the Messenians revolted and under the leadership of See also:

• ARISTOMENES

Aristomenes (q.v.) kept the Spartans at bay for some seventeen years (648-631 B.e., according to See also:

• GROTE, GEORGE (1794–1871)

Grote): but the stronghold of Ira (Eira) See also:

• FELL
• FELL, JOHN (1625-1686)

fell after a See also:

• SIEGE (0. Fr. sege, siege, mod. siege, seat, ultimately from sedere, to sit, cf. Class. Lat. obsidium, a siege)

siege of eleven years, and those Messenians who did not leave the country were reduced to the See also:

• CONDITION (Lat. condicio, from condicere, to agree upon, arrange; not connected with conditio, from condere, conditum, to put together)

condition of See also:

• HELOTS (Gr. eYAwres or eiXiorat)

helots . The next revolt broke out in 464, when a severe See also:

• EARTHQUAKE

earthquake destroyed Sparta and caused great loss of See also:

• LIFE

life; the insurgents defended themselves for some years on the See also:

• ROCK
• ROCK (O.Fr. rake, Sp. rota, Ital. rocca; possibly from a Lat. form rupica, from rupes, rock)
• ROCK, DANIEL (1799–187t)

rock-citadel of Ithome, as they had done in the first war; but eventually they had, to leave the Peloponnese and were settled by the Athenians at See also:

• NAUPACTUS (Ital. Lepanto, mod. Gr. Epakto)

Naupactus in the territory of the See also:

• LOCRI

Locri Ozolae . After the See also:

• BATTLE

battle of See also:

• LEUCTRA

Leuctra (371 B.C.) See also:

• EPAMINONDAS (c. 418-362)

Epaminondas invited the exiled Messenians scattered in See also:

• ITALY
• ITALY (Italia)

Italy, See also:

• SICILY (Ital. Sicilia)

Sicily, See also:

• AFRICA
• AFRICA, ROMAN

Africa and elsewhere to return to their country: the See also:

• CITY (through Fr. cite, from Lat. civitas)

city of See also:

• MESSENE

Messene (q.v.) was founded in 369 to be the capital of the country and, like See also:

• MEGALOPOLIS

Megalopolis in Arcadia, a powerful check on Sparta . Other towns too were founded or rebuilt at this See also:

• TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
• TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
• TIME, STANDARD

time, though a great part of the See also:

• LAND

land still remained very sparsely peopled .

But though See also:

• INDEPENDENT

independent Messenia never became really powerful or able to stand without See also:

• EXTERNAL

external support . After the fall of the Theban See also:

• POWER [WILLIAM GRATTAN] TYRONE (1797-1841)

power, to which it had owed its See also:

• FOUNDATION (Lat. fundatio, from fundare, to found)

foundation, it became an ally of See also:

• PHILIP
• PHILIP (Gr.'FiXtrsro , fond of horses, from dn)^eiv, to love, and limos, horse; Lat. Philip pus, whence e.g. M. H. Ger. Philippes, Dutch Filips, and, with dropping of the final s, It. Filippo, Fr. Philippe, Ger. Philipp, Sp. Felipe)
• PHILIP, JOHN (1775-1851)
• PHILIP, KING (c. 1639-1676)
• PHILIP, LANOGRAVE OF HESSE (1504-1567)

Philip II. of Macedon and took no part in the battle of See also:

• CHAERONEIA, or CHAERONEA

Chaeroneia (338 B.c.) . Subsequently it joined the Achaean See also:

• LEAGUE

League, and we find Messenian troops fighting along with the See also:

• ACHAEANS ('AXaioi, Lat. Achivi)

Achaeans and Antigonus Doson at Sellasia in 222 B.C . Philip V. sent See also:

• DEMETRIUS

Demetrius of Pharos to seize'Messene, but the See also:

• ATTEMPT (Lat. adtemptare, attentare, to try)

attempt failed and cost the life of Demetrius: soon afterwards the Spartan See also:

• TYRANT (Gr. r6pavvos, master, ruler)

tyrant Nabis succeeded in taking the city, but was forced to retire by the timely arrival of the See also:

• PHILOPOEMEN (253–184 B.C.)

Philopoemen and the Megalopolitans . A war afterwards broke out with the Achaean League, during which Philopoemen was captured and put to death by the Messenians .(183 B.c.), but Lycortas took the city in the following See also:

• YEAR

year, and it again joined the Achaean League, though much weakened by the loss of Abia, Thuria and Pherae, which broke loose from it and entered the League as independent members (see ACHAEAN LEAGUE) . In 146 B.C. the Messenians, together with the other states of Greece, were brought directly under See also:

• ROMAN

Roman sway by L . See also:

• MUMMIUS, LUCIUS (2nd century B.c.)

Mummius . For centuries there had been a dispute between Messenia and Sparta about the See also:

• POSSESSION
• POSSESSION (Lat. possessio, possidere, to possess)

possession of the Ager Dentheliates on the western slope of Taygetus: after various decisions by Philip of Macedon, Antigonus, Mummius, See also:

• CAESAR, GAIUS JULIUS (102—44 B.c.)
• CAESAR, SIR JULIUS (1557-1558-1636)

Caesar, Antony, See also:

• AUGUSTUS (a name 1 derived from Lat. augeo, increase, i.e. venerable, majestic, Gr. Ee0avr6s)

Augustus and others, the question was settled in A.D . 25 by Tiberius and the See also:

• SENATE (Lat. senatus, from root sen-, as in senex, old; the root is the Sanskrit sana, cf. Gr. 'vos; the same element appears in senor, seigneur, seneschal)

Senate in favour of the Messenians (Tac . See also:

• ANN

Ann. iv . 43) . In the See also:

• MIDDLE

middle ages Messenia shared the fortunes of the See also:

• REST (O. Eng. rest, reste, bed, cognate with other Teutonic forms, e.g. Ger. Rast, Riiste, rest, and probably Gothic Rasta, league, i.e. resting or stopping place)

rest of the Peloponnese .

It was overrun by Slavic hordes, who have See also:

• LEFT

left their traces in many See also:

• VILLAGE

village names, and was one of the See also:

• CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief battlefields of the various See also:

• POWERS, HIRAM (1805-1873)

powers—Byzantines, See also:

• FRANKS
• FRANKS, SIR AUGUSTUS WOLLASTON (1826-1897)

Franks, Venetians and See also:

• TURKS

Turks— who struggled for the possession of the Morea . Striking reminders of these conflicts are afforded by the extant ruins of the See also:

• MEDIEVAL

medieval strongholds of See also:

• KALAMATA (officially KaltaµaL, from an ancient town near the site)

Kalamata, Coron (anc . Asine, mod . Korone), Modon (Methane) and Pylos . At the present day Messenia forms a See also:

• DEPARTMENT (Fr. departement, from departir, to separate into parts)

department with its capital at Kalamata, and a See also:

• POPULATION (Lat. populus, people; populare, to populate)

population numbering (according to the See also:

• CENSUS (from Lat. censere, to estimate or assess; connected by some with centum, i.e. a count by hundreds)

census of 1907), 127,991 . See W . M . See also:

• LEAKE, WILLIAM MARTIN (1777-186o)

Leake, Travels in the Morea (See also:

• LONDON

London, 1830), i . 324 sqq . ; E . See also:

• CURTIUS, ERNST (1814-1896)
• CURTIUS, MARCUS

Curtius, Peloponnesos (See also:

• GOTHA

Gotha, 1852), ii . 121 sqq.; C .

See also:

• BURSIAN, CONRAD (1830–1883)

Bursian, Geographie von Griechenland (See also:

• LEIPZIG

Leipzig, 1868), iii . 155 sqq . ; E . P . Boblaye, Recherches geographiques See also:

• SUS

sus See also:

• LES

les ruins de la Moree (See also:

• PARIS
• PARIS (also called ALEXANDROS)
• PARIS, ALEXIS PAULIN (1800-x881)
• PARIS, BRUNO PAULIN GASTON (1839-1903)
• PARIS, FRANCOIS DE (169o-1727)
• PARIS, LOUIS PHILIPPE ALBERT
• PARIS, TREATIES OF (1814-1815)

Paris, 1835), 103 sqq . ; See also:

• STRABO (born c. 63 n.c.)

Strabo viii . 358 sqq . ; See also:

• PAUSANIAS

Pausanias iv., and the commentary in J . G . Frazer, Pausanias's Description of Greece, vol. iii . ; and articles by W . See also:

• KOLBE, ADOLPHE WILHELM HERMANN (1818–1884)

Kolbe, Athenische Mitteilungen (1904), 364 sqq., and M .

N . See also:

• TOD, JAMES (1782-1835)

Tod, See also:

• JOURNAL
• JOURNAL (through Fr. from late Lat. diurnalis, daily)

Journal of Hellenic Studies, See also:

• XXV

xxv . 32 sqq . See also:

• PHYSICAL

Physical features: A . Philippson, Der Peloponnes (See also:

• BERLIN
• BERLIN, CONGRESS AND TREATY OF
• BERLIN, ISAIAH (1725–1799)

Berlin, 1892), 340-381 . See also:

• INSCRIPTIONS (from Lat. inscribere, to write upon)

Inscriptions: Inscriptiones graecae, v.; Le Bas-Foucart, Voyage archeologique: Inscriptions, Nos . 291–326 A; Collitz-Bechtel, Sammlung der griech . Dialektinschriften, iii . 2, Nos . 4637-4692 . (M .