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GreeceMessenia Prefecture
Νομός Μεσσηνίας








Messenia or Messinia (Μεσσηνία) is a prefecture in the Peloponnese, a region of Greece. Greece consists of 13 administrative regions known as Peripheries of Greece, which are further subdivided into 3 super-prefectures and 54 prefectures or nomes The Peloponnese or Peloponnesus ( Greek: Πελοπόννησος Pelopónnisos; see also List of Greek place names) is a large Peninsula Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Messenia is bounded on the east by Mount Taygetus, on the north by the river Neda and the Arcadian Mountains, and on the west and south by the Mediterranean Sea, more specifically on the west by the Ionian Sea, and on the south by the Gulf of Messenia. Geographical features Kouakiou river Rintomo gorge * Viros gorge Places on the Taygetus The Neda River (Greek Νέδα Potamos Nedas) is a river that flows through the Arcadia, Ilia and the Messinia prefectures in the western The Ionian Sea is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. The Messenian Gulf ( Greek: Μεσσηνιακος Κόλπος Messiniakos Kolpos) is a sea that is part of the Ionian Sea. The plain is bounded on the north by Mt. Nomia (mod. Tetrasi, 1,800 m, 5210 ft. ) and other mountains, on the west by the mountains of Cyparissia (1,550 m, 4000 ft. ) the southern continuation of which forms the peninsula of the Morea, attaining its greatest height in Mt. Mathia (mod. Lykódimo about 950 m, 3160 ft. ), its current tallest point is Taygetos located to the east. Geographical features Kouakiou river Rintomo gorge * Viros gorge Places on the Taygetus Off the south coast of this peninsula lie the three Oenussae islands and the islet of Theganussa (Venetikó). About less than half of the population live within GR-7, in places from Allagi to south of Kalamata, along with the plain as the Kalamata-Messene metropolitan area, Peloponnese's third largest metropolitan city. Greek National Road 7 is a motorway in Peloponnese, Greece. It begins at a motorway intersection with Greek National Road 8A outside Corinth Kalamata (Καλαμάτα Kalamáta, formerly Καλάμαι Kalámai) is the second-largest city of the Peloponnese in southern Greece Kalamata has an airport 5 km west of Kalamata. A harbor and port named from this city is not far from the downtown, originally connected with train tracks. It is one of the largest waterfronts in the peninsula.

Contents

History

Ancient period

The earliest known inhabitants of Messenia are said to have been Pelasgians and Leleges, of whom the latter had their capital at Andania. The name Pelasgians (from Ancient Greek grc Πελασγοί Pelasgoí, singular Πελασγός Pelasgós) was used by some ancient Greek The Leleges were one of the aboriginal peoples of southwest Anatolia (compare " Pelasgians quot who were already there when the Indo-European Hellenes Andania (Ανδανία is a municipality in Messenia, Greece. Then came an Aeolo-Minyan immigration, which apparently extended to Messenia, though the Pylos of Nestor almost certainly lay in Triphylia, and not at the site which in historic times bore that name. This article is about the Greek geographical feature and town In Greek mythology, Nestor of Gerênia ( Greek: Νέστωρ) was the son of Neleus and Chloris, and the King of Pylos. In the Homeric poems eastern Messenia is represented as under the rule of Menelaus of Sparta, while the western coast is under the Neleids of Pylos, but after Menelaus’s death the Messenian frontier was pushed eastwards as far as Taygetus. Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the In Greek mythology, Menelaus ( Ancient Greek:) was a king of Ancient Sparta, the husband of Helen, and a central figure in the The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη This article is about the Greek geographical feature and town Geographical features Kouakiou river Rintomo gorge * Viros gorge Places on the Taygetus

Excavations at Pylos and Nichoria have revealed for Messenia's late Bronze Age (1300s BC) a bureaucratic, agricultural kingdom ruled by the wanax at Pylos. This article is about the Greek geographical feature and town Nichoria is a site in Messenia, across the Ayia mountain range to the east of Navarino. grc Anax is an ancient Greek word for " king " It is one of the two Greek titles traditionally translated this way the other being Basileus, which The Messenians spoke Mycenaean Greek, and worshipped the Greek gods at local shrines like that at PA-KI-JA-NE (*Sphagianes). Mycenaean is the most ancient attested form of the Greek language, spoken on the Greek mainland and on Crete in the 16th to 11th centuries BC, before the Later, Greeks agreed that a body of Dorians under Cresphontes invaded the country from Arcadia and taking as their capital Stenyclarus in the northern plain, extended, first their suzerainty, and then their rule over the whole district. The Dorians or Dorian Greeks ( Greek:, Dōrieis singular, Dōrieus were In Greek mythology, Cresphontes was a son of Aristomachus and brother of Temenus and Aristodemus. However, given that the Arcadian language is a direct and conservative descendent of Mycenaean Greek, it is more likely that the Dorians pushed the native Messenians into Arcadia. Arcadia or Arkadía ( Greek Αρκαδία is a region of Greece in the Peloponnesus.

Map of ancient Messenia.
Map of ancient Messenia.

The task apparently proved an easy one, and the Dorians blending with the previous inhabitants produced an amalgamated Messenian tribe with a strong national feeling. However, the relative wealth of Messenia in fertile soil and favourable climate attracted the expansionistic neighbouring Spartans. The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη War broke out, it was said, as a result of the murder of the Spartan king Teleclus by the Messenians - which, in spite of the heroism of King Euphaes and his successor Aristodemus ended in the subjection of Messenia to Sparta (c. Teleclus or Teleklos was a king of Sparta during the eighth century BC In Greek mythology, Aristodemus was a son of Aristomachus and brother of Cresphontes and Temenus. 720 BC). Events and trends 728 BC — Piye invades Egypt, conquering Memphis, and receives the submission of the rulers of the Nile Two generations later the Messenians revolted and under the leadership of Aristomenes kept the Spartans at bay for some seventeen years (648 BC—631 BC, according to Grote). Aristomenes was a king of Messenia, celebrated for his struggle with the Spartans and his resistance to them on Mount Ira for 11 years Events and trends Assyrian king Ashurbanipal founds library which includes our earliest complete copy of the Epic of Gilgamesh. Events and trends 636 BC — Duke Wen of Jin ascends to power in the State of Jin during the Zhou Dynasty of China. However, the stronghold of Ira (Eira) fell after a siege of eleven years. Eira (Είρα is a municipality in Messenia, Greece. Population 1027 (2003

As the object of the Spartans was to increase the number of lots of land for their citizens, many of the conquered Messenians (those who did not manage to leave the area) were reduced to the condition of Helots. The helots (in Classical Greek / Heílôtes) were an unfree population group that formed the Servitude was hard, though their plight might have been harder, for they paid to their lords only one-half of the produce of the lands which they tilled. The Spartan poet Tyrtaeus describes how the Messenians endured the insolence of the masters:

As asses worn by loads intolerable,
So Them did stress of cruel force compel,
Of all the fruits the well-tilled land affords,
The moiety to bear to their proud lords. Tyrtaeus (also Tyrtaios, Greek:) was a Greek elegiac Poet who lived at Sparta about the middle of the 7th century BC

—Bury and Meiggs, "A History of Greece," 4th Ed

The next revolt broke out in 464 BC, when a severe earthquake destroyed Sparta and caused great loss of life. Events By place Greece Sparta suffers the effects of a severe earthquake leading to a large loss of life The insurgents defended themselves for some years on the rock-citadel of Ithome, as they had done in the first war; but eventually they had to leave the Peloponnese and were settled by the Athenians at Naupactus in the territory of the Locri Ozolae. Mount Ithome ( Greek: Ἰθώμη is a mountain in Messenia, Greece. The Peloponnese or Peloponnesus ( Greek: Πελοπόννησος Pelopónnisos; see also List of Greek place names) is a large Peninsula Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Naupactus or Nafpaktos (Ναύπακτος rarely Έπαχτος Naupactus or Naupactos İnebahtı Italian Spanish and Portuguese Lepanto is the second largest town Ozolian Locris or Esperian Locris (Οζολία Λοκρίς ή Εσπερία Λοκρίς was a district inhabited by the Ozolian Locrians a tribe of the Locrians After the Battle of Leuctra (371 BC), Epaminondas invited the exiled Messenians scattered in Italy, Sicily, Africa and elsewhere to return to their country. The Battle of Leuctra (or Leuktra was a battle fought between the Thebans and the Spartans and their respective allies amidst the post- Corinthian War conflict Events By place Greece A fresh peace congress is summoned at Sparta. Epaminondas ( Greek:) (ca 418 BC&ndash362 BC was a Theban General and statesman of the 4th century BC who transformed the Ancient Greek The city of Messene was founded in 369 BC to be the capital of the country and, like Megalopolis in Arcadia, became a powerful check on Sparta. Messene was also the name of a Greek colony in Sicily, initially founded as Zancle and nowadays known as Messina. Events By place Greece After driving off the Spartan army that has threatened Mantinea, Epaminondas of Thebes Ancient Megalopolis, or now Megalópoli (Μεγαλόπολη is a town in the western part of the prefecture of Arcadia. Other towns, as well, were founded or rebuilt at this time, though a great part of the land still remained very sparsely populated. Although quite independent, Messenia never became really powerful or able to stand without external support.

After the fall of the Theban power, to which it had owed its foundation, it became an ally of Philip II of Macedon and took no part in the battle of Chaeronea (338 BC). The Theban Hegemony lasted from the Theban victory over the Spartans at Leuctra in 371 BC to their defeat of a coalition of Peloponnesian Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse Chaeronea (Χαιρώνεια is a municipality in the Boeotia Prefecture, Greece. Events By place Persian Empire The Persian general and Vizier, the Eunuch Bagoas, falls out of favour with Subsequently it joined the Achaean League, and we find Messenian troops fighting along with the Achaeans and Antigonus Doson at Sellasia in 222 BC. The Achaean League (Ἀχαϊκὴ Συμμαχία or (Ἀχαϊκὴ Συμπολιτεία was a Confederation of Greek city states in Achaea Antigonus III Doson ( Greek: ο Αντίγονος Δώσων 263 BC-221 BC was king of Macedon from 229 BC-221 BC Oinountas (Modern Greek Οινούντας Ancient/Katharevousa -ous ancient form Oinous or Inous, Latin Oenus) is a municipality in the northeastern Events By place Roman Republic Mediolanum (modern Milan) stronghold of the Gallic tribe of the Insubres Philip V sent Demetrius of Pharos to seize Messene, but the attempt failed and cost the life of Demetrius. Philip V ( Greek Φίλιππος Ε΄) (238 BC - 179 BC was King of Macedon from 221 BC to 179 BC Soon afterwards the Spartan tyrant Nabis succeeded in taking the city, but was forced to retire by the timely arrival of Philopoemen and the Megalopolitans. This article is about the Spartan king For the Parisian artistic group see Les Nabis. A war afterwards broke out with the Achaean League, during which Philopoemen was captured and put to death by the Messenians (183 BC), but Lycortas took the city in the following year, and it again joined the Achaean League, though much weakened by the loss of Abia, Thuria and Pherae, which broke loose from it and entered the League as independent members. Philopoemen (in Greek, Φιλοποίμην transliterated as Philopoimen) (b Events By place Roman Republic Roman colonies are established at Mutina (later Modena) Pisa and Parma Lycortas of Megalopolis was a politician of the Achaean League active in the first half of the second century BC. The Achaean League (Ἀχαϊκὴ Συμμαχία or (Ἀχαϊκὴ Συμπολιτεία was a Confederation of Greek city states in Achaea The Thurian Age a specific epoch in the fictional timeline used by Robert E Pherae ( Greek: Φεραί was an ancient Greek town in southeastern Thessaly.

In 146 BC, the Messenians, together with the other states of Greece, were brought directly under Roman sway by L. Mummius. Lucius Mummius (2nd century BC was a Roman statesman and general For centuries there had been a dispute between Messenia and Sparta about the possession of the Ager Dentheliales on the western slope of Taygetus: after various decisions by Philip of Macedon, Antigonus, Mummius, Caesar, Antony, Augustus and others, the question was settled in 25 by Tiberius and the Senate in favour of the Messenians (Tac. Year 25 was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (or Tiberius I) born Tiberius Claudius Nero (November 16 42 BC – March 16 AD 37) was the second Roman The Roman Senate was a political institution in Ancient Rome. Ann. iv. 43). In 395 AD, the Roman Empire was split into the East and the Western Roman Empire and Messenia was ruled by the East and was later known as the Byzantine Empire, it was later invaded by the Slavs. The Western Roman Empire refers to the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 285 the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern

Medieval period

In the Middle Ages, Messenia shared the fortunes of the rest of the Peloponnese. Striking reminders of these conflicts are afforded by the extant ruins of the medieval strongholds of Kalamata, Coron (anc. Asine, mod. Korone), Modon (Methone) and Pylos. Messenia was a part of the Frankish Empire. Francia or Frankia, later also called the Frankish Empire (imperium Francorum Frankish Kingdom (Latin regnum Francorum, "Kingdom of the

Ottoman and Venetian period

Much of Messenia fell into the hands of the Ottoman Turks, a part of the area remained with the Venetian Republic and a whole shortly in the mid to late-15th century. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The Most Serene Republic of Venice ((Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta or Repùblica de Venesia Serenissima Repubblica Again in the 1680s, the whole of Messenia was part of the Venetian Republic again before being ruled again by the Ottomans in the 1730s. Events and trends The Great Awakening - A Protestant religious movement active in the British colonies of North America Messenia did not became Greek until the Greek War of Independence of 1821 and several months and years later was liberated by the Greeks. The Greek War of Independence (1821–1829 also commonly known as the Greek Revolution (Ελληνική Επανάσταση Elliniki Epanastasi; Ottoman Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year One of the most famous battles was the Battle of Navarino which took place in the middle of the war and defeated its Turkish fleets. The naval Battle of Navarino was fought on 20 October 1827, during the Greek War of Independence (1821&ndash32 in Navarino Bay, on the west The Mani Peninsula, a part of modern Messenia, was autonomous from Turkish rule due to the fact that it had no harbors. The Mani Peninsula ( Μάνη in Greek) also long known as Maina or Maïna, is a region in Greece.

From the Greek War of Independence until World War II

Messenia had improved its economy including its agriculture in the first years of the modern country of Greece. It was later connected by rail (OSE's SPAP line and four highways. Organismós Sidirodrómon Elládos ( Greek: Οργανισμός Σιδηροδρόμων Ελλάδος, the Hellenic Railways Organisation is the School of Pure and Applied Physics (SPAP is the Department of Physics of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. Emigration to the United States and later larger towns and cities including Athens also began slowly. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's The prefecture later included the Ionian Islands of Sapientza and Schiza. Sapientza (Σαπιέντζα is a Greek Island off the southern coast of the Peloponnese. Schiza (Σχίζα is a Greek Island off the southwestern coast of the Peloponnese.


Modern period

After World War II and the Greek Civil War, most of its buildings were rebuilt. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Greek Civil War (ο Eμφύλιος, "the Civil War" fought from 1946 to 1949 by the Governmental forces receiving logistical support by the United Kingdom Emigration increased and later included much of North America and Australia and later western Europe and slowed down in the 1980s and continues in villages. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. The population in the area of Kalamata and Messene boomed from 30,000 before the war up to nearly 80,000 in the present day.

The highway bypassed Messene in the 1970s. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. In 1999, the construction of the GR-7 was opened and added an interchange in the mid-2000s with the GR-9. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) The Ministry of Transportation will extend the bypass with two lanes downward to Kalamata with the bypass that opened in 2004, it length will be approximately 30 km, the section will open as early as 2012. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " 2012 ( MMXII) will be a Leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The next construction program is uncertain with the exception of the possible proposal of the GR-9A from Kalo Neri to the GR-7 connecting the GR-9 which the date is unset. The eastern portion is bypassed and features an interchange.

On Thursday July 26, 2007, the central part of the prefecture was strucked by a small fire that consumed several forests, groves and farms and ruined a part of its economy. Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Some houses were destroyed in villages that are built in a valley. The fire lasted into July 28. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. Nearly a month later, another fire ravaged the northeastern portion of the prefecture and consumed villages in the Taygetos ranges. It lasted from August 26 to August 27 and ruined many bushes, it did not affect southwest into the GR-9A Junction due to low winds and cooler weather. Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert. Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan Firefighters along with airplanes, fire trucks and choppers battled the blaze, most of its water came from Lake Taka. Another natural disaster became earthquakes (see Earthquakes in Greece), a high medium earthquake ravaged and shook the entire prefecture, it measured at 6. 6 on the Richter scale on Thursday February 14, 2008. The Richter magnitude scale, or more correctly local magnitude M L scale assigns a single number to quantify the amount of seismic energy released Events 842 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Kalamata and Methoni became dangerous places as damages were rarely reported, they were nearly on high alert which brought panic to Messinia. Messinia was not to escape the earthquakes but they were to be lighter, Anthoni was battered by a February 26 earthquake that measured around 5. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed 5 and another on Thursday February 28 that battered Methoni and caused only minor damages on these two earthquakes, some of its old houses were damaged from it. Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Messinia did not escape the quakes once again, four earthquakes battered portions of the prefecture near Methoni, all measured around 4 on the Richter scale, all of these occurred at the sea which relieved most of the shakiness.

Today, Messenia forms a prefecture with its capital at Kalamata. Kalamata (Καλαμάτα Kalamáta, formerly Καλάμαι Kalámai) is the second-largest city of the Peloponnese in southern Greece

Climate

Climate may vary, in the lowlands, temperatures are a bit warmer than Athens. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Snow is not common during winter months except for the mountains especially the Taygetus. Rain and clouds are common inland. For one day in July 2000, morning temperatures were at the 37°C point in many areas. July 2000: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September

Transport

There are four major highways in Messenia:

Population

Year Population Density
1991 167,292 - 56/km²
2001 172,875 57. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. 7/km²

Communications

Television

Municipalities and communities

Jomatero

Municipality YPES code Seat (if different)
Aetos 3802 Kopanaki
Aipeia 3803 Longa
Andania 3804 Diavolitsi
Androusa 3805
Arfara 3808
Aris 3806
Aristomenis 3807
Avia 3801 Kampos
Avlona 3809 Sidirokastro
Chiliochoria 3831 Chandrinos
Dorio 3812
Eira 3813 Neda
Filiatra 3830
Gargalianoi 3811
Ithomi 3815 Valyra
Kalamata 3816
Koroni 3817
Kyparissia 3818
Lefktro 3819 Kardamyli
Meligalas 3821
Messene 3822
Methoni 3820
Nestoras 3823 Chora
Oichalia 3824 Meropi
Papaflessas 3825 Vlachopoulo
Petalidi 3826
Pylos 3827
Thouria 3814
Voufrades 3810 Chatzis
Community YPES code Seat (if different)
Trikorfo 3828
Tripyla 3829 Raptopoulo

See also: List of settlements in the Messenia prefecture

Islands

Provinces

Notes

External links

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. Events 1012 - Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich London. 1529 - At the Second Diet of Speyer Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. For an overview of the whole Huey family of aircraft see Bell Huey WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Sphagia is the modern name of the island known in ancient times as Sphacteria. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone

Dictionary

Messenia

-proper noun

  1. Also Messinia. A region in southwestern Peloponnese which has its modern capital at Kalamata. The original capital was at Messene.
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