Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. Excerpt from book: Section 3FIRST MESSKNIAN WAK. 19 CHAP. IV. FIRST MESSENIAN WAR. — FORTIFICATION AND CAPTURE OP ITHOME. SECOND .MKSiljr.NIAN WAR. LEGENDS OF ARIS- TOMENE8. The Laeonians and Messenians being both Dorians, had a common temple on the frontier sacred to Artemis. Hither both nations repaired for religious worship, and on one occasion* a feud broke out between them, and the Spartan king, Teleclus, was slain. Which was in the wrong it is impossible to say, but each charged the other with being the aggressor. The Spartans, perhaps, felt themselves in the wrong, for they did not demand satisfaction for their king's death. Things went on quietly until the next generation, when another quarrel took place about some cattle, and the son of Polychares, a Messcnian, was treacherously slain. His father demanded redress, but not obtaining it, he took the law into his own hands, and murdered every Spartan who fell into his power. The Spartans then insisted on the surrender of Polychares, and this being refused, they, without declaring war, attacked the frontier town of Amphia by surprise, and put the inhabitants to death. An annoying predatory warfare was carried on for some time by the Spartans, and the Messenians determined to desert the open country, and 'fortify themselves on a strong hill named Ithome (Mount Vourkano), which commanded the plain. Whilst thus engaged, they sent to consult the oracle of Delphi. The oracle demanded a human sacrifice, a pure virgin of the royal house of Cresphontea, which, from jEpytus his son, was called the family of the ./Epytids. The victim, who was selected by lot, escaped to Sparta ; and Aristodemus, another member of the royal family, furnished a victim in her place, by slaying his daughter with his own hand. This compliance with the demands of the oracle alarmed th...