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MEssenia is the next Countrey to (a) Laconia, the which, the Successours of Hercules possessed. The Inhabitants of this Countrey, a great and daily War being valiantly waged with the Lacedemonians, at length are overcome, and compelled to change their soyl. The cause of the War seemeth to have been the co∣vetousness and ambition of the Lacedemonians, from the which,
envy and grudging ariseth against Neighbours. Either a ravish∣ment offered to the Laconian women by the Messenians through a shew of holy things, and death brought on Teleclus King of the Lacedemonians by the same; or mutual injuries of private persons, gave the occasion: the which while the Cities prosecuted coura∣giously, a fierce War waxed hot on both sides. The Lacedemo∣nians made the first assault, who, the Messenians provoking them in vain to equal conditions, binding themselves first with a most grievous oath, That they would not cease from Arms, before they should obtain Messenia; they possessed their Town Amphia, placed on the side of an hill. (b) That happened in the second year of the ninth Olympiad; this is of Jul. Cir. 3971, Euphaës reigning over the Messenians. On the fourth year after, which was of Jul. Cir. 3975, a cruel battel was fought, as also a new break∣ing in of the Lacedemonians; and lastly, the Messenians, other Towns being left, do fence Ithome. Euphaes being dead, Aristode∣mus is chosen King by the Messenians, he who killed his daughter before the Oracle. That fell out about the 3984 year of Jul. Cir. the third year of the 12 Olympiad. The Lacedemonians received a great slaughter from this king: (a) whom it so pleased, as to prostitute their Wives to supply off-spring. Whence were born those whom they called Parthenians, of which afterwards. That thing happened about the third year of the 13 Olympiad, the fifth year of Aristodemus. At length Aristodemus, the safety of his Countrey being despaired of, because the Spartans did oppresse Ithome with a most straight siege, he stabbed himself at his daugh∣ters grave, after he had reigned six years, and a greater part of the seventh. But in the first year of the 14 Olympiad going out, of the Jul. Circ. 3991, the twentieth after the Messenian War was begun, Ithome was forsaken by the Messenians, and over∣thrown by the Lacedemonians. Thus an end is put to the former War. After this some of the Messenians, Alcimadas being their Captain, through Shipwrack, travel to Rhegium, which is a Town of Italy.
After 38 years from thence, this is the 4th year of the twenty third Olympiad, of Jul. Cir. 4029. Tlesias being chief Governour of Athens, as Pausanias saith, through the encouragement of Aristomenes, a man endued with Heroick valour, the Messenians renew the War against the Lacedemonians; in which Warr the Lacedemonians desire a Captain from the Athenians, by the Oracle. These ordain for them Tyrtaeus the Poet, a Schoolmaster, who be∣ing Commander, at the first they are overcome; afterwards they are made the superiours rather by deceit, than virtue. The Mes∣senians betake themselves into the Mountain Ira in the third year of the War: where they resisted their enemies eleven years. Aristomenes about that time did (b) many incredible and astonish∣ing things. At length in the first year of the 27 Olympiad, Ira was vanquished, before Christ 671, and the War ceased, which by the report of Pausanias is gathered, to have held 14 years.
(a) Yet Justine sheweth, that the second War was renewed by the Messenians after eighty years from the former; when all this space of time, they had been kept in a slavish manner by the La∣cedemonians. The Messenians, their Country being overthrown, the Spring coming on, do fail into Sicilia, and there possesse Zan∣cles, which they name Messena.
Pausan. Messen. Just. 3. Things ga∣thered out of Diodor. set forth by Va∣les. p. 226.
The Messe∣nian War.
Pausan. Messen. p. 116.
Justin. 3.
The Parthe∣nians.
Pausan. of the Messen. 128. &c.
See Va∣les. ad Exo. Diod. p. 38.