Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/360

 344 MESSENIA. session of the western slopes, but liow far tlieir terri- tory extended on this side lias been a matter of dis- pute. The confines of the two countries vras marked by a temple of Artemis Limnatis, at a place called Linmae, where the Jlessenians and Laconians offered sacrifices in common ; and it was the murder of the Spartan kinc; Teleclus at this place which gave oc- casion to tlie First Messenian War. (Pans. iii. 2. § 6, iv. 4. §2, iv. 31. §3; comp. Strab. vi. p. 257, viii. p. 362.) The exact site ot Linmae is not indicated by Pausanias : and accordiniily Leake, led chiefly by the name, supposes it to have been situated in the plain upon the left bank of the Pamisus, at the marshes near the confluence of the Aris and Pamisus, and not far from the site of the modern town of Nisi {'Uriai, island), which derives that appellation from the similar circumstance of its position. (Leake, Morea, vol. i. p. 361.) But Ross has discovered the ruins of the temple of Artemis Limnatis on the west- ern slope of Jit. Tays^etus, on a part of the moun- tains called Volimnos (Bu)iiJ.vos and amidst the rains of the church of Panaf/h/a Volmniatissa (na- I'ayia BaiXiiMvidTiacra). Volimnos is the name of a hollov/ in the mountains near a mountain torrent fiowin,^ into the Nedon, and situated between the vil- lages of Sitzovd and Poliani, of which the latter is about 7 miles NE. of Kalamdhi, the ancient Phe- rae. The fact of the similarity of the names, Boj- ijxvos and Ai',ui'ai, and also of llavayia BtuAi^ii'ia- TKTcra and "Afn^ixis iixv6.tis, as well as the ruins of a temple in this secluded spot, would alone make it probable that these are the remains of the cele- brated temple of Artemis Limnatis; but this is ren- dered certain by the inscriptions found by Ross upon the spot, in which this goddess is mentioned by name. It is also confirmed by the discoveiy of two boundary stones to the eastward of the ruins, upon the highest ridge of Ta_vgetus, upon which are in- scribed "Opos AaKf^aifxovi irphs Mfo-o-^i/Tjy. These pillars, therefore, show that the boundaries of Mes- senia and Laconia must at one period have been at no great distance from this temple, which is always represented as standing near the confines of the two countries. This district was a frequent subject of dispute between the Messenians and Lacedaemonians even in the times of the Roman Empire, as we shall see presently. Tacitus calls it the " Dentheliates Ager" (^Hist. iv. 43); and that this name, or some- thing similar, was the proper appellation of the dis- trict, appears from other authorities. Stephanus B. speaks of a town " Denthalii" (Aev6dLot, s. v.: others read AcAflacioi), which was a subject of contention between the Messenians and Lacedae- monians. Alcman also (ap.Athen. i. p. 31), in enu- merating the different kinds of Laconian wine, men- tions also a Denthian wine (Aivdis ohos), which came from a fortress Denthiades (e'/c AivBid^wv ipii- fxarSs Tifos), as particularly good. Ross conjectures that this fortress may have stood upon the moun- tain of St. George, a little S. of Sitzovd, where a few ancient remains are said to exist. The wine of this mountain is still celebrated. The position of the above-mentioned places will be best shown by the accompanying map. But to return to the histoiy of Messenia. In each of the two wars with Sparta, the Messenians, after being defeated in the open plain, took refuge in a strong fortress, in Ithome in the first war, and in Eira or Ira in the second, where they maintained themselves for several years. At the conclusion of the Second Messenian War, many of the Messenians MESSENIA. left their country, and settled in various parts of Greece, where their descendants continued to dwell as exiles, hoping for their restoration to their native land. A large number of them, under the two sons of Aristomenes, sailed to Rhegium in Italy, and afterwards crossed over to the opposite coast of Sicily, where they obtained possession of Zancle, to which they gave their own name, which the city has re- tained down to the present day. [Messana.] Those who remained were reduced to the condition of Helots, and the whole of Messenia was incor- porated with Sparta. From this time (b. c. 668) to the battle of Leuctra (b. c. 371), q, period of nearly 300 years, the name of Messenia was blotted out of history, and their country bore the name of Laconia, a fact which it is important to recollect in reading the history of that period. Once only the Messenians attempted to recover their independence. The great earthquake of B.C. 464, which reduced Sparta to a heap of ruins, encouraged the Messenians and other Helots to rise against their oppressors. They took refuge in their ancient stronghold of Ithome ; and the Spartans, after besiegirig the place in vain for ten years, at length obtained possession of it, by allowing the Messenians to retire unmolested from Peloponnesus. The Athenians settled the exiles at Naupactus, which they had lately taken from the Locri Ozolae ; and in the Peloponnesian War they were among the most active of the allies of Athens. (Thuc. i. 101—103 ; Paus. iv. 24. § 5, seq.) The capture of Athens by the Lacedaemonians compelled the Messenians to quit Naupactus. Many of them took refuge in Sicily and Rhegium, where some of their countrymen were settled ; but the greater part sailed to Africa, and obtained settlements among the Euesperitae, a Libyan people. (Paus. iv. 26. § 2.) After the power of Sparta had been broken by the battle of Leuctra (e. c. 371), Epaminondas, in order to prevent her from regaining her former influence in the Peloponnesus, resolved upon forming an Ar- cadian confederation, of which ]Iegalopolis was to be the capital, and at the same time of restoring the Messenian state. To accomplish the latter object, he not only converted the Helots into free Messenians, but he despatched messengers to Italy, Sicily, and Africa, where the exiled Messenians had settled, in- viting them to return to their native land. His summons was gladly responded to, and in b. c. 369 the new town of Messene was built. Its citadel or acropoUs was placed upon the summit of JMt. Ithome, while the town itself was situated lower down on the slope, though connected with its acropolis by a continuous wall. (Diod. xv. 66 ; Paus. iv. 27.) [Messene.] During the 300 years of exile, the jMessenians retained their ancient customs and Doric dialect ; and even in the time of Pausanias they spoke the purest Doric in Peloponnesus. (Paus. iv. 27. § 11 ; comp. Miiller, Dor. voL ii. p. 421, transl.) Other towns were also rebuilt, but a great part of the land still continued uncultivated and deserted. (Strab. viii. p. 362.) Under the protec- tion of Thebes, and in close alliance with the Arca- dians (comp. Polyb. iv. 32), Jlessene maintained its independence, and the Lacedaemonians lost Messenia for ever. On the downfall of the Theban supremacy, the Messenians courted the alliance of Philip of Jlacedon, and consequently took no part with the other Greeks at the battle of Chaeroneia, b. c. 388. (Paus. iv. 28. § 2.) Pliilip rewarded them by com- pelling the Lacedaemonians to cede to them Limnae and certain districts. (Polyb. ix. 28 ; Tac. Antu