846 G R E 
tlie enterprife; and it was hoped, that as the greater 
p u t of the Lacedaemonians were employed in plunder¬ 
ing Eir.i, this fmail but valiant body of men might 
make a deep impreflion on a city deprived of its ufual 
defence. The arrangements for this purpofe were taken 
with the Arcadian king Ariftocrates, whofe behaviour 
at the battle of the Trenches had occafioned the defeat 
of the MefiTenians, and whofe artifice had fince perfuaded 
them, tiuit his fliameful behaviour on that day was the 
effect of terror, and not of perfidious treachery. A fe- 
cond time, however, this wretch betrayed the caufe of 
his country and its allies. Having retarded the execu¬ 
tion of Ar.ftomenes’s projeft, he difpatched a confiden¬ 
tial Have to Sparta, who difcovered the imminent dan¬ 
ger to Anaxander the Lacedaemonian king. The Have 
was intercepted on his return, carrying a letter from 
that prince, in which he acknowledged the faithful fer- 
vices of Ariftocrates. Upon the difcovery of this letter, 
the Arcadians, frantic with difappointment and rage. 
Honed to death the perfidious traitor who difgraced the 
name of king. 
Tims ended the fecond Meflenian war, in the autumn 
of the year 671 before Chrift. The fugitive Meftenians 
experienced various fortunes. The aged and infirm 
■were treated by the Arcadians, among whom they con¬ 
tinued to refide, with all the cordial attention of ancient 
hofpitality. The young and enterprifing took leave of 
their benefactors, and under the conduct of Afiftomenes 
repaired to Cylene, a harbour belonging to the Eleans. 
Agreeably to the information which they had received, 
they found in that place their countrymen of Pylus and 
Methone, with whom they confulted about the means 
of acquiring new eftablifhments. It was determined, 
by the advice of their Elean friends, not to undertake 
any expedition for this purpofe until the return of 
fpring, when they (hould again convene in full aflem- 
bly, finally to conclude this important deliberation. 
Having met at the time appointed, they agreed unani- 
inoufty to commit their future fortunes to the wifdom 
of Ariftomenes, who,declared his opinion for eftablifti- 
ing a diftant colony, but declined the honour of con- 
duiSting it in perfon, and mimed for this office the brave 
Melfenian youths Gorgus and Manticles. The former 
of thefe, inheriting his father’s hatred againft Sparta, 
advifed his countrymen to take poflelfion of the hland 
of Zacynthus, which, from its iituation in the Ionian 
fea, lay conveniently for haraffing the maritime parts of 
Laconia. Manticles propofed a different opinion, ob- 
ferving, that the illand of Sardinia, though lefs advan- 
tageoully fituate for the purpofes of revenge, was far 
better adapted to fupply the neceffary comforts of life ; 
and that the Meftenians, if once fettled in that large 
and beautiful iftand, would foon forget the calamities 
which Sparta had inflicted on them. But before any 
rel'olution was taken, a meflenger arrived from Rhegium, 
tiien governed by Anaxilas, a prince defcended from 
the royal houl'e of Meft'enia, who invited his wandering 
countrymen to a fafe retreat in iris dominions. When, 
agreeably to this invitation, they arrived at Rhegium, 
Anaxilas informed them, that his fubjects. were conti¬ 
nually harafled by the piratical depredations of the Zan- 
cleans, an Eolian colony, who poftelfed a delightful 
territory on the oppofite coaft. With the afliftance of 
the Melfenians it would be eafy to deftroy that neil of 
pirates; a meafure by which the city of Rhegium wotild 
be delivered from very troublefome neighbours, and the 
Meffenians enabled to eftablifti themfelves in the molt 
delicious fituation of the whole Sicilian coaft. The 
propolal was received with alacrity; the armament failed 
lor Sicily ; the Zancleans v/ere belieged by fea and land. 
, When they perceived that part of their wall was de- 
ftroyed, and that they could derive no advantage from 
continuing in arms, they took refuge in the temples of 
their gojds. Even from thefe refpeCted afylums the re- 
fentment of Anaxilas was ready to tear them; but he 
E C E. 
was reftrained by the humanity of the Meftenians, who 
had learned from their own calamities to pity tlie unfor. 
tunate. The Zancleans, thus delivered from the fword 
and from fervitude, fwore eternal gratitude to their ge¬ 
nerous protectors. The Meftenians returned tliiS friendly 
fentiment with an increafe of bounty ; tliey allowed the 
Zancleans either to leave the place, or to remain in the 
honourable condition of citizens; the two nations gra¬ 
dually coalefced into one community; and Zancld, in 
memory of the conqueft, changed its nanie to Melfene, 
a name ftill recognized, after the revolution of twenty- 
five centuries. 
It has been obferved, that Ariftomenes declined the 
honour of coiidiufting the colony. His fubfequent for¬ 
tune is differently related by ancient writers. Paufaiiias 
informs us, that he failed to the ille of Rhodes with 
Demagetes, king of the city and territory of lalyfus ia 
that iftand, who being advifed by the oracle of Apollo 
to marry the daughter of the inoft illuftrious ^haraifter 
ill Greece, had without hefitation preferred the daugh¬ 
ter of Ariftomenes. From Rhodes he failed to Ionia, 
and thence travelled to Sardis, with an intention of being 
prefented to Ardys, king of the Lydians, probably to 
propofe fome enterprize to the ambition of that prince, 
which might finally be produftive of benefit to Melfene. 
But upon his arrival at Sardis he was feized with a dif- 
temper which put an end to his life. Otlier generals 
have defended their country with better fiiccefs, but 
none with greater glory ; other charaiSlers are more fully 
delineated in ancient hiftory, but none more deferving 
of immortal fame: fince W'hatever is known of Arifto¬ 
menes tends to prove, that according to the ideas of his 
age and country, he united, in fingular perfection, tlie 
merits of the citizen and of the foldier, the powers of 
the underftanding, and the virtues of tlie heart. 
The conqueft of Meft'enia rendered Sparta the moft 
confiderable power in Greece. The Peloponnefus, for¬ 
merly comprehending feven, now contained only fix in¬ 
dependent ftates. The fubjeiSts of Sparta alone occu¬ 
pied two-fifths of the whole peninfula. Tlie remainder 
was unequally divided among the Corinthians, Achteans, 
Eleans, Arcadians, and Argives. In a narrow extent of 
territory, thefe fmail communities exhibited a wonder¬ 
ful variety of character and manners. The central dif- 
tridt of Arcadia, conlifting of one continued clufter of 
mountains, was inhabited by a hardy race of herdfmen, 
proud of their ancefiry, and confident in their own cou¬ 
rage and the ftrength of their country. Their Eolian 
excraiftion, their jealouiy, and their pride, made them 
difdaln conneftion with the Dorians, by whofe poffef- 
fions they were on all fides furrounded. Carelefs of the 
arts of peace, they were engaged in unceafing hoftilities 
with their neighbours, by whom they were defpifed as 
barbarians, and whom they contemned as upftarts ; liiice, 
amidft all the revolutions of Peloponnefus, the Arcadians 
alone had ever maintained their original eftabliftimcnts. 
The induftrious and wealthy Corinthians prefented a 
very dift'ereiit Ipeftacle. Inhabiting the mountainous 
ifthmus, which, towering between two feas, connefts 
the Peloponnefus with the north of Greece, the Co- 
rintiiiaiis long formed the principal centre of inland 
communication and foreign commerce. Their fea-fight 
againft their rebellious colony, Corcyra, is the firft na¬ 
val engagement recorded in hiftory. It was fought fix 
hundred and fifty years before Chrift, at which time 
the Corinthians were regarded by their neighbours as 
a wealtliy and luxurious people. The influence of wealth 
to produce fervitude prevailed over that of commerce, 
whicli is favourable to liberty. Their government, af¬ 
ter the abolition of monarchy, was ufurped by a nume¬ 
rous branch of the royal family, ftyled Bacchiadae. This 
oligarchy was deftroyed by Cypfelus, a mild and gentle 
ruler, whofe family governed Corinth till the year 585 
before Chrift. 
The contrail between Arcadia and Corinth was not 
more 
