 | This article includes a list ofgeneral references, butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations. Please help toimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(March 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Messenia Μεσσηνία | |
|---|---|
Region ofAncient Greece | |
.jpg) Burial chamber,Pylos | |
 Map of ancient Messenia | |
| Location | Peloponesse |
| Major cities | Messene |
| Dialects | Doric |
Messenia (Ancient Greek:Μεσσηνία) was an ancient district of the southwesternPeloponnese, more or less overlapping the modernMessenia region ofGreece. It occupied thepeninsular region usually called by the same name along with some of the mainland. To the north it had a border withElis along theNeda river. From there the border withArcadia ran along the tops of Mount Elaeum and Mount Nomia and then through foothills ofTaygetus. The eastern border withLaconia went along the Taygetus ridge up to the Koskaraka river, and then along that river to the sea, near the city ofAbia. TheIonian Sea forms the peninsula's western border, and the peninsula and mainland sections enclose theMessenian Gulf to the south.
Ancient Messenia existed continuously without change of name and with little change of territory to the modern Regional Unit of Greece of thesame name.
The earliest inhabitants of Messenia were thought by the Greeks of theClassical period to have been 'Pelasgians',[1] as in other regions of Greece. Supposedly, the Hellenic tribes had then arrived in Greece, and Messenia was settled byAeolian Greeks. The Mycenaean city ofPylos has been identified with the modern site of Ano Englianos, in western Messenia. Excavations atPylos andNichoria have revealed for Messenia's late Bronze Age (14th century BC) a bureaucratic, agricultural kingdom ruled by thewanax at Pylos. The Messenians spokeMycenaean Greek, and worshipped the Greek gods at local shrines like that atSphagianes. During the legendaryDorian invasion of the Peloponnese during theGreek Dark ages, Messenia was supposedly invaded byDorians underCresphontes, arriving from Arcadia. They took as their capitalStenyclarus in the northern plain, and then extended, first their suzerainty, and then their rule over the whole district.
During the Archaic period the relative wealth of Messenia in fertile soil and favourable climate attracted the neighbouringSpartans. Thefirst Messenian War broke out—as a result of the murder of the Spartan kingTeleclus by the Messenians, it was claimed, which, in spite of the heroism of KingEuphaes and his successorAristodemus ended in the subjugation of Messenia by Sparta (c. 720 BC). Two generations later the Messenians revolted and under the leadership ofAristomeneskept the Spartans at bay for some seventeen years (685—668 BC). Descriptions of this revolt indicate that Messenia was allowed to retain a certain degree of autonomy after the first war, since they describe battles between organized armies on both sides. However, the stronghold of Ira (Eira) finally fell after a siege of eleven years. As the object of the Spartans was to increase the number of lots of land for their citizens, many of the conquered Messenians (those who did not manage to leave the area) were reduced to the condition ofHelots. The Spartan poetTyrtaeus describes how the Messenians endured the insolence of the masters:
As asses worn by loads intolerable,
So Them did stress of cruel force compel,
Of all the fruits the well-tilled land affords,
The moiety to bear to their proud lords.
— Bury and Meiggs, "A History of Greece", 4th Ed
The Messenians revolted again in 464 BC, after asevere earthquake destroyed Sparta and caused great loss of life. The insurgents defended themselves for some years on the rock-citadel ofIthome, as they had done in the first Messenian War. The Spartans were unable to expel them from their stronghold on Mt. Ithome and so agreed to an Athenian mediated truce whereby the leading Messenians left thePeloponnese and were settled by theAthenians atNaupactus in the territory of Ozalian Locris.
After the decisiveBattle of Leuctra in 371 BC, when the Spartans suffered a severe defeat at the hands ofThebes,Epaminondas invaded Messenia, and liberated it from Spartan rule. Epaminondas invited the exiled Messenians scattered in Italy, Sicily, Africa and elsewhere to return to their country. The city ofMessene was founded in 369 BC to be the capital of the country and, likeMegalopolis in Arcadia, became a powerful check on Sparta. Other towns, as well, were founded or rebuilt at this time, though a great part of the land still remained very sparsely populated. Although quite independent, Messenia never became really powerful or able to stand without external support. After the fall of theTheban power, to which it had owed its foundation, it became an ally ofPhilip II of Macedon and avoided further conflict in the 4th century BC. Subsequently, the Messenians joined with theAchaean League, and Messenian troops fought as part of the Achaean force underAntigonus Doson at theBattle of Sellasia in 222 BC.Philip V sentDemetrius of Pharos to seize Messene, but the attempt failed and cost the life of Demetrius. Soon afterwards the Spartan tyrantNabis succeeded in taking the city, but was forced to retire by the timely arrival ofPhilopoemen 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 BC), butLycortas took the city in the following year, and it again joined theAchaean League, though much weakened by the loss ofAbia,Thuria andPharae, which broke loose from it and entered the League as independent members.
In 146 BC, the Messenians, together with the other states of Greece, were brought directly under Roman sway. For centuries there had been a dispute between Messenia and Sparta about the possession of the Ager Dentheliales on the western slope of Taygetus: after various decisions byPhilip II of Macedon, Antigonus,Lucius Mummius,Julius Caesar,Mark Antony,Augustus Caesar and others, the question was settled in 25 AD byTiberius and theSenate in favour of the Messenians.
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)| International | |
|---|---|
| Geographic | |
