Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/251

 PEEIOEKI AND HKLOTb. 229 as, having before dwelt in servitude throughout the territory west- ward of Ithome, now remained there in a state of freedom but also doubtless a number of others who deserted from other parts of Laconia. For as we know that such desertions had been not inconsiderable, even when there was no better shelter than the out- lying posts of Pylus and Kythera so we may be sure that they became much more numerous, when the neighboring city of Mes- eCine was founded under adequate protection, and when there was a chance of obtaining, westward of the Messenian Gulf, free lands with a new home. Moreover, such Perioeki and Helots as had actually joined the invading army of Epaminondas in Laconia, would be forced from simple insecurity to quit the country when he retired, and would be supplied with fresh residences in the newly-enfranchised territory. All these men would pass at once, out of a state of peculiarly harsh servitude, into the dignity of free and equal Hellens, 1 sending again a solemn Messenian legation or Theory to the Olympic festival, after an interval of more than three centuries, 9 outdoing their former masters in the magnitude of riftlv irapanaToiKi^ovoiv, wore (jq TOUT' elvat ;jfa/le7rraroj>, el TTJC X"P a G aTm a trapa rd 8'iK.aiov, d/l/l' el rovg dov^ovg rj/isTspovf eTroipofiE'&a, Kvpiovf Again s. 101. rjv yap napaKaTOLKiau[i-&a rot)f E/Auraf, not TTJV ravTTjv Trepitdu[i.ev av!;T]$elcrav, rig OVK oldev on -travra rbv ftiov kv ica2 KivdvvoLf dia.Te'h.ovp.Ev ovreg; compare also sections 8 and 102. 1 Isokrates, Orat. vi, (Archidam.) s. 111. "A^ov 6e nal ryv ' Kal ruf ak'h.a.q alcxwdr/vai iravrfyvpeic, ev alg EKaarof ripuv (Spartans) rorepof J]v Kal i9ari / uaar6repof TUV u&lujTuv TUV h> Totf aywcrt ruf viKaf aval- povfievuv. Et'f &c rif uv eT^&elv ToX/j.fjaiev, uvrl ftev TOV Tipuffdai Karafypo- vrj$ria6/jevo ert 6e Trpdf rovroif 6t(i6fifVOf [lev Toi) olKTa( uirb T^f ^wpaf^fot Trarepef ii/uv K.areXi'ROv inrapxuf Kal 'dvaiag pei~ fowf r/pijv 'TToiovfj.svovf, uKovaofievof 6' avru Toiavraig /3/lacr (J>TJ pi- ai$xpufi.Evuv, oia if irsp eZ/cdf roi>c xahEirurepov TUV d/lAon defiov^evKOTdf, E$ laov ds vvv raf avv&f/Kaf rolf deairoraic ireTroiri/4vovf. This oration, composed only five or six years after the battle of Leaktra, is exceedingly valuable as a testimony of the Spartan feeling under such severe humiliations. 2 The freedom of the Messenians had been put down by the first Messe- nian war, after which they became subjects of Sparta. The second Messe- nian war arose from their revolt. No free Messenian legation could therefore have visited Olympia since the termination of the first war ; which is placed by Pausanias (iv, 13, 4) in 723 H. c. ; though the date in not to be trusted. Pausanias (iv, 27, 3) gives