Second Messenian War
This article needs attention from an expert in History. The specific problem is: Time sequence of bribes and second(?) Spartan advance/attack extremely murky.(June 2014) |
Second Messenian War | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
Argos |
mercenaries | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Aristocrates II |
Anaxander Anaxidamus Tyrtaeus Emperamus |
The Second Messenian War was a war which occurred ca. 660–650 BC between the
Prelude
The First Messenian War lasted from 743 BC to 724 BC. During the period prior to conquest, Sparta dealt with overpopulation in the
War
The Second Messenian War was the result of revolt by the
However, it was Sparta who had the upper hand in the Battle of the Great Foss when they bribed Aristocrates, king of Messenia-allied Arcadia, into retreating through the Messenian lines when the Spartans advanced into battle.[7] Again, this loss forced the Messenians into a fortified city at Mt. Eira (Ira). It was, while fortified here, that the Messenians started to use the land as enemy territory and several raids were made of the surrounding towns, some even led by Aristomenes himself.
During this time Aristomenes was captured. Before he could be executed he escaped his holding and made it back to Eira. The Messenians held Eira for over ten years before the Spartans made their last attack. Before Eira fell, however, the Spartans allowed the women and children to be released along with Aristomenes. The ones who did not escape Eira were again turned into helots and most of the ones who escaped fled to Italy. Aristomenes himself left for Rhodes where he died and was honored as a hero.[8][non-primary source needed]
Ultimately, the Spartans were able to quell the revolts following the death of the Argive commander, and further suppressed the Messenians back to a helot status. As a result of this war, Spartan society became a strong militaristic power in the Mediterranean in order to control the masses along the Peloponnese and to prevent further rebellions brought on by the helots who later did manage to break away from Spartan rule around 350 BC.
In literature
F. L. Lucas's Messene Redeemed (1940) is a verse drama, based on Pausanias, about Messenian history, including episodes from the Second Messenian War.
References
- ISBN 978-1-4443-3838-6, retrieved 2020-04-12
- ISBN 9780199381135. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
- ^ a b L. G. Pechatnova, A History of Sparta (Archaic and Classic Periods)
- ^ Dunstan, William E. Ancient Greece. Orlando: Harcourt Inc. 2000. p.95
- ^ Pausanias, Description of Greece, 4.15.1
- ^ Dunstan. Ancient Greece p.95
- ^ Pausanias, Description of Greece, 4.17.2
- ^ Xanthippos, Demetrios. (2003 June 6) The Second Messenian War. Retrieved February 3, 2008 from "The Second Messenian War". Archived from the original on 2007-04-29. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
- ^ Saunders, Dr.L.J. History 223. Montreal: Concordia University. October 31, 2007