First Messenian War

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The First Messenian War was a war between Messenia and Sparta. It began around 743 BC and ended around 724 BC.

Cause

Sources give different reasons for the cause of the war, but the Spartans and the Messenians laid the ground work for war with a dispute a generation before the war, in a skirmish between Spartans and Messanians during a festival at the temple of Artemis Limnatis around 768 BC. The Spartan story tells of the raping of virgins and the killing of the king of the Agiad line in Sparta, Teleklos. The Messenian story says that the "virgins" were young soldiers sent by Teleklos to get close to the Messenian leaders for an attempt at their lives and the killing of Teleklos was in defence of that attack.

Course

The actual outbreak of war only came in 743 BC, however, and even then there was little campaigning until the war's first major battle, the Spartan sack of Ampheia. Not wanting to experience another such battle, the Messenians fell back to the heavily fortified Mount Ithome. This is when the Messenians first sent for help from the Oracle at Delphi. They were told that a sacrifice of a royal virgin was the key to their success and the daughter of Aristodemus, a Messenian hero, was chosen for the sacrifice.

Upon hearing of this, the Spartans held off from attacking Ithome for several years, before finally making a long march under their kings and killing the Mesenian leader. Aristodemus was made the new Messenian king and lead an offensive, meeting the enemy and driving them back into their own territory. Now the Spartans sent an envoy to Delphi and their following of her advice caused Messenian reverses so great that Aristodemus committed suicide and Ithome fell. The Messenians who had fortified themselves on the mountain either fled abroad or were captured and enslaved.

Legacy

About 40 years later, a slave uprising caused a Second Messenian War.

References

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Last updated on Tuesday February 19, 2008 at 04:56:54 PST (GMT -0800)
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