ἡ δὲ Μεσσηνία συνεχής ἐστι τῇ Ἠλείᾳ, περινεύουσα τὸ πλέον ἐπὶ τὸν νότον καὶ τὸ Λιβυκὸν πέλαγος. αὕτη δʼ ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν Τρωικῶν ὑπὸ Μενελάῳ ἐτέτακτο, μέρος οὖσα τῆς Λακωνικῆς, ἐκαλεῖτο δʼ ἡ χώρα Μεσσήνη· τὴν δὲ νῦν ὀνομαζομένην πόλιν Μεσσήνην, ἧς ἀκρόπολις ἡ Ἰθώμη ὑπῆρξεν, οὔπω συνέβαινεν ἐκτίσθαι· μετὰ δὲ τὴν Μενελάου τελευτήν, ἐξασθενησάντων τῶν διαδεξαμένων τὴν Λακωνικήν, οἱ Νηλεῖδαι τῆς Μεσσηνίας ἐπῆρχον. καὶ δὴ κατὰ τὴν τῶν Ἡρακλειδῶν κάθοδον καὶ τὸν τότε γενηθέντα μερισμὸν τῆς χώρας ἦν Μέλανθος βασιλεὺς τῶν Μεσσηνίων καθʼ αὑτοὺς ταττομένων, πρότερον δʼ ὑπήκοοι ἦσαν τοῦ Μενελάου. σημεῖον δέ· ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ Μεσσηνιακοῦ κόλπου καὶ τοῦ συνεχοῦς Ἀσιναίου λεγομένου ἀπὸ τῆς Μεσσηνιακῆς Ἀσίνης αἱ ἑπτὰ ἦσαν πόλεις, ἃς ὑπέσχετο δώσειν ὁ Ἀγαμέμνων τῷ Ἀχιλλεῖ Καρδαμύλην Ἐνόπην τε καὶ Ἱρὴν ποιήεσσαν / Φηράς τε ζαθέας ἠδʼ Ἄνθειαν βαθύλειμον / καλήν τʼ Αἴπειαν καὶ Πήδασον ἀμπελόεσσαν, / οὐκ ἂν τάς γε μὴ προσηκούσας μήτʼ αὐτῷ μήτε τῷ ἀδελφῷ ὑποσχόμενος. ἐκ δὲ τῶν Φηρῶν καὶ συστρατεύσαντας τῷ Μενελάῳ δηλοῖ ὁ ποιητής, τὸν δὲ καὶ συγκαταλέγει τῷ Λακωνικῷ καταλόγῳ, ἱδ ἐν τῷ Μεσσηνιακῷ κόλπῳ. ἔστι δʼ ἡ Μεσσήνη μετὰ Τριφυλίαν· κοινὴ δʼ ἐστὶν ἀμφοῖν ἄκρα, μεθʼ ἣν τὸ Κορυφάσιον· ὑπέρκειται δʼ ὄρος ἐν ἑπτὰ σταδίοις τὸ Αἰγαλέον τούτου τε καὶ τῆς θαλάττης.
MESSENIA is continuous with the Eleian territory, incline. ing for the most part towards the south, and the Libyan Sea. Being part of Laconia, it was subject in the Trojan times to Menelaus. The name of the country was Messene. But the present city called Messene, the acropolis of which was Ithome, was not then founded. After the death of Menelaus, when the power of those who succeeded to the possession of Laconia was altogether weakened, the Neleidae governed Messenia. At the time of the return of the Heracleidae, and according to the partition of the country at that time, Melanthus was king of the Messenians, who were a separate community, but formerly subject to Menelaus. As a proof of this, in the space from the Messenian Gulf and the continuous gulf, (called the Asinaean from the Messenian Asine,) were situated the seven cities which Agamemnon promised to Achilles; Cardamyle, Enope, the grassy Hira, the divine Pherae, Antheia with rich meadows, the beautiful Aepeia, and Pedasus abounding with vines. He certainly would not have promised what did not belong either to himself or to his brother. The poet mentions those, who accompanied Menelaus from Pherae to the war, and speaks of (Oetylus) in the Laconian catalogue, a city situated on the Gulf of Messenia.
Messene follows next to Triphylia. The promontory, after which are the Coryphasium and Cyparissia, is common to both. At the distance of 7 stadia is a mountain, the Aegaleum, situated above Coryphasium and the sea.
ἡ μὲν οὖν παλαιὰ Πύλος ἡ Μεσσηνιακὴ ὑπὸ τῷ Αἰγαλέῳ πόλις ἦν, κατεσπασμένης δὲ ταύτης ἐπὶ τῷ Κορυφασίῳ τινὲς αὐτῶν ᾤκησαν· προσέκτισαν δʼ αὐτὴν Ἀθηναῖοι τὸ δεύτερον ἐπὶ Σικελίαν πλέοντες μετʼ Εὐρυμέδοντος ἐπὶ Στρατοκλέους, ἐπιτείχισμα τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις. αὐτοῦ δʼ ἐστὶ καὶ ἡ Κυπαρισσία ἡ Μεσσηνιακὴ καὶ ἡ […] καὶ ἡ προκειμένη πλησίον τοῦ Πύλου Σφαγία νῆσος, ἡ δʼ αὐτὴ καὶ Σφακτηρία λεγομένη, περὶ ἣν ἀπέβαλον ζωγρίᾳ Λακεδαιμόνιοι τριακοσίους ἐξ ἑαυτῶν ἄνδρας ὑπʼ Ἀθηναίων ἐκπολιορκηθέντας. κατὰ δὲ τὴν παραλίαν ταύτην τῶν Κυπαρισσιέων πελάγιαι πρόκεινται δύο νῆσοι προσαγορευόμεναι Στροφάδες, τετρακοσίους ἀπέχουσαι μάλιστά πως τῆς ἠπείρου σταδίους ἐν τῷ Λιβυκῷ καὶ μεσημβρινῷ πελάγει. φησὶ δὲ Θουκυδίδης ναύσταθμον ὑπάρξαι τῶν Μεσσηνίων ταύτην τὴν Πύλον· διέχει δὲ Σπάρτης τετρακοσίους.
The ancient Messenian Pylus was a city lying below the Aegaleum, and after it was razed, some of the inhabitants settled under the Coryphasium. But the Athenians in their second expedition against Sicily, under the command of Eurymedon and Stratocles, got possession of it, and used it as a stronghold against the Lacedaemonians. Here also is the Messenian Cyparissia, (and the island Prote,) lying close to Pylus, the island Sphagia, called also Sphacteria. It was here that the Lacedaemonians lost three hundred men, who were besieged by the Athenians and taken prisoners.
Two islands, called Strophades, belonging to the Cy- parissii, lie off at sea in front of this coast, at the distance of about 400 stadia from the continent, in the Libyan and southern sea. According to Thucydides this Pylus was the naval station of the Messenians. It is distant from Sparta 400 stadia.
ἑξῆς δʼ ἐστὶ Μεθώνη· ταύτην δʼ εἶναί φασι τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ ποιητοῦ Πήδασον προσαγορευομένην, μίαν τῶν ἑπτὰ ὧν ὑπέσχετο τῷ Ἀχιλλεῖ ὁ Ἀγαμέμνων· ἐνταῦθα Ἀγρίππας τὸν τῶν Μαυρουσίων βασιλέα τῆς Ἀντωνίου στάσεως ὄντα Βόγον κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον τὸν Ἀκτιακὸν διέφθειρε, λαβὼν ἐξ ἐπίπλου τὸ χωρίον.
Next is Methone. This city, called by the poet Pedasus, was one of the seven, it is said, which Agamemnon promised to Achilles. There Agrippa killed, in the Actian war, Bogus, the king of the Maurusii, a partisan of Antony’s, having got possession of the place by an attack by sea
τῇ δὲ Μεθώνῃ συνεχής ἐστιν ὁ Ἀκρίτας, ἀρχὴ τοῦ Μεσσηνιακοῦ κόλπου· καλοῦσι δʼ αὐτὸν καὶ Ἀσιναῖον ἀπὸ Ἀσίνης, πολίχνης πρώτης ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ, ὁμωνύμου τῇ Ἑρμιονικῇ. αὕτη μὲν οὖν ἡ ἀρχὴ πρὸς δύσιν τοῦ κόλπου ἐστί, πρὸς ἕω δὲ αἱ καλούμεναι Θυρίδες, ὅμοροι τῇ νῦν Λακωνικῇ τῇ κατὰ Κιναίθιον καὶ Ταίναρον. μεταξὺ δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν Θυρίδων ἀρξαμένοις Οἴτυλός ἐστι· καλεῖται δʼ ὑπό τινων Βοίτυλος· εἶτα Λεῦκτρον τῶν ἐν τῇ Βοιωτίᾳ Λεύκτρων ἄποικος, εἶτʼ ἐπὶ πέτρας ἐρυμνῆς ἵδρυται Καρδαμύλη, εἶτα Φηραὶ ὅμορος Θουρίᾳ καὶ Γερήνοις, ἀφʼ οὗ τόπου Γερήνιον τὸν Νέστορα κληθῆναί φασι διὰ τὸ ἐνταῦθα σωθῆναι αὐτόν, ὡς προειρήκαμεν. δείκνυται δʼ ἐν τῇ Γερηνίᾳ Τρικκαίου ἱερὸν Ἀσκληπιοῦ, ἀφίδρυμα τοῦ ἐν τῇ Θετταλικῇ Τρίκκῃ. οἰκίσαι δὲ λέγεται Πέλοψ τό τε Λεῦκτρον καὶ Χαράδραν καὶ Θαλάμας, τοὺς νῦν Βοιωτοὺς καλουμένους, τὴν ἀδελφὴν Νιόβην ἐκδοὺς Ἀμφίονι καὶ ἐκ τῆς Βοιωτίας ἀγαγόμενός τινας. παρὰ δὲ Φηρὰς Νέδων ἐκβάλλει ῥέων διὰ τῆς Λακωνικῆς, ἕτερος ὢν τῆς Νέδας· ἔχει δʼ ἱερὸν ἐπίσημον Ἀθηνᾶς Νεδουσίας. καὶ ἐν Ποιαέσσῃ δʼ ἐστὶν Ἀθηνᾶς Νεδουσίας ἱερόν, ἐπώνυμον τόπου τινὸς Νέδοντος, ἐξ οὗ φασιν οἰκίσαι Τήλεκλον Ποιάεσσαν καὶ Ἐχειὰς καὶ Τράγιον.
Continuous with Methone is Acritas, where the Messenian Gulf begins, which they call also Asinaeus from Asine, a small city, the first we meet with on the gulf, and having the same name as the Hermionic Asine.
This is the commencement of the gulf towards the west. Towards the east are the Thyrides, as they are called, bordering upon the present Laconia near Caenepolis, and Taenarum.
In the intervening distance, if we begin from the Thyrides, we meet with Oetylus, by some called Beitylus; then Leuctrum, a colony of the Leuctri in Boeotia; next, situated upon a steep rock, Cardamyle; then Pherae, bordering upon Thuria, and Gerenia, from which place they say Nestor had the epithet Gerenian, because he escaped thither, as we have mentioned before. They show in the Gerenian territory a temple of Aesculapius Triccaeus, copied from that at the Thessalian Tricca. Pelops is said to have founded Leuctrum, and Charadra, and Thalami, now called the Boeotian Thalami, having brought with him, when he married his sister Niob to Amphion, some colonists from Boeotia. The Nedon, a different river from the Neda, flows through Laconia, and discharges its waters near Pherae. It has upon its banks a remarkable temple of the Nedusian Minerva. At Poeaessa also there is a temple of the Nedusian Minerva, which derives its name from a place called Nedon, whence, they say, Teleclus colonized Poeaessa, and Echeiae, and Tragium.
τῶν δὲ προταθεισῶν ἑπτὰ πόλεων τῷ Ἀχιλλεῖ περὶ μὲν Καρδαμύλης καὶ Φηρῶν εἰρήκαμεν καὶ Πηδάσου. Ἐνόπην δὲ οἱ μὲν τὰ Πέλλανά φασιν, οἱ δὲ τόπον τινὰ περὶ Καρδαμύλην, οἱ δὲ τὴν Γερηνίαν· τὴν δὲ Ἱρὴν κατὰ τὸ ὄρος δεικνύουσι τὸ κατὰ τὴν Μεγαλόπολιν τῆς Ἀρκαδίας ὡς ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀνδανίαν ἰόντων, ἣν ἔφαμεν Οἰχαλίαν ὑπὸ τοῦ ποιητοῦ κεκλῆσθαι· οἱ δὲ τὴν νῦν Μεσόλαν οὕτω καλεῖσθαί φασι καθήκουσαν εἰς τὸν μεταξὺ κόλπον τοῦ Ταϋγέτου καὶ τῆς Μεσσηνίας. ἡ δʼ Αἴπεια νῦν Θουρία καλεῖται, ἣν ἔφαμεν ὅμορον Φαραῖς· ἵδρυται δʼ ἐπὶ λόφου ὑψηλοῦ, ἀφʼ οὗ καὶ τοὔνομα. ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς Θουρίας καὶ ὁ Θουριάτης κόλπος, ἐν ᾧ πόλισμα ἦν Ῥίον τοὔνομα ἀπεναντίον Ταινάρου. Ἄνθειαν δὲ οἱ μὲν αὐτὴν τὴν Θουρίαν φασίν, Αἴπειαν δὲ τὴν Μεθώνην, οἱ δὲ τὴν μεταξὺ Ἀσίνην τῶν Μεσσηνίων πόλεων οἰκειότατα βαθύλειμον λεχθεῖσαν, ἧς πρὸς θαλάττῃ πόλις Κορώνη καὶ ταύτην δέ τινες Πήδασον λεχθῆναί φασιν ὑπὸ τοῦ ποιητοῦ. πᾶσαι δʼ ἐγγὺς ἁλός, / Καρδαμύλη μὲν ἐπʼ αὐτῇ, Φαραὶ δʼ ἀπὸ πέντε σταδίων, ὕφορμον ἔχουσα θερινόν, αἱ δʼ ἄλλαι ἀνωμάλοις κέχρηνται τοῖς ἀπὸ θαλάττης διαστήμασι.
With respect to the seven cities promised to Achilles, we have already spoken of Cardamyle, and Pherae, and Pedasus. Enope, some say is Pellana; others, some place near Cardamyle; others, Gerenia. Hira is pointed out near a mountain in the neighbourhood of Megalopolis in Arcadia, on the road to Andania, which we have said is called by the poet Oechalia. Others say that the present Mesola was called Hira, which extends to the bay situated between Taÿgetum and Messenia. Aepeia is now called Thuria, which we said bordered upon Pherae. It is situated upon a lofty hill, whence its name. The Thuriatic Gulf has its name from Thuria; upon the gulf is a single city, named Rhium, opposite Tenarum. Some say that Antheia is Thuria, and Aepeia Methone; others, that Antheia is Asine, situated between Methone and Thuria, to which, of all the Messenian cities, the description, with its rich pastures, is most appropriate. Near it on the sea is Corone. There are some writers who say that this town is called Pedasus by the poet. These cities are all near the sea; Cardamyle close to it; Pherae at the distance of 5 stadia, having an anchorage, which is used in the summer. The rest are situated at unequal distances from the sea.
πλησίον δὲ τῆς Κορώνης κατὰ μέσον πως τὸν κόλπον ὁ Παμισὸς ποταμὸς ἐκβάλλει, ταύτην μὲν ἐν δεξιᾷ ἔχων καὶ τὰς ἑξῆς· ὧν εἰσιν ἔσχαται πρὸς δύσιν Πύλος καὶ Κυπαρισσία, μέση δὲ τούτων Ἔρανα, ἣν οὐκ εὖ τινες Ἀρήνην […] νενομίκασι πρότερον· Θουρίαν δὲ καὶ Φαρὰς ἐν ἀ. μέγιστος δʼ ἐστὶ ποταμῶν τῶν ἐντὸς Ἰσθμοῦ καίπερ οὐ πλείους ἢ ἑκατὸν σταδίους ἐκ τῶν πηγῶν ῥυεὶς δαψιλὴς τῷ ὕδατι διὰ τοῦ Μεσσηνιακοῦ πεδίου καὶ τῆς Μακαρίας καλουμένης· ἀφέστηκέ τε τῆς νῦν Μεσσηνίων πόλεως ὁ ποταμὸς σταδίους πεντήκοντα. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλος Παμισὸς χαραδρώδης μικρὸς περὶ Λεῦκτρον ῥέων τὸ Λακωνικόν, περὶ οὗ κρίσιν ἔσχον Μεσσήνιοι πρὸς Λακεδαιμονίους ἐπὶ Φιλίππου· τὸν δὲ Παμισόν, ὃν Ἄμαθόν τινες ὠνόμασαν, προειρήκαμεν.
Near Corone, about the middle of the gulf, the river Pamisus discharges itself, having, on the right hand, this city, and the rest in succession, the last of which, towards the west, are Pylus and Cyparissia, and between these is Erana, which some writers erroneously suppose to be the ancient Arene; on the left hand it has Thyria and Pherae. It is the largest (in width) of the rivers within the isthmus, although its course from its springs does not exceed 100 stadia in length; it has an abundant supply of water, and traverses the Messenian plain, and the district called Macaria. It is distant from the present city of the Messenians 50 stadia. There is also another Pamisus, a small torrent stream, running near Leuctrum of Laconia, which was a subject of dispute between the Messenians and Lacedaemonians in the time of Philip.
I have before said that some persons called the Pamisus, Amathus.
Cite This Text