First ruler conquers the country

The first to have ruled Messenia was Polycaon ₁, son of Lelex ₂ and the naiad Cleocharia. Lelex ₂, said to be an Egyptian immigrant, was king of Laconia. Polycaon ₁ married the ambitious woman Messene, daughter of King Triopas ₁ of Argos, and after her the whole territory was named. At the death of Lelex ₂, his son Myles inherited the throne in Lacedaemon. But Messene, not wishing to be the wife of an anonymous man, collected an armed force from both Argos and Lacedaemon, and the newly married couple invaded with an army the territory of Messenia, and named it after the daughter of the Argive king.

Having thus established the new kingdom, they founded a city Andania where they built their palace. It is during the reign of Polycaon ₁ that Caucon ₂ brought the rites of the Great Goddesses from Eleusis to Messenia. Caucon ₂ was son of Celaenus ₁, son of Phlyus, who, according to the Athenians and others, was a son of Gaia. The house of Polycaon ₁ died out, but lasted, according to some, for about five generations, his descendants being unknown up to this day.

The coming of the Aeolids

At some moment, Aeolus ₁'s son Perieres ₁ invaded the country. This man is sometimes called son of Cynortes (son of Amyclas ₁, son of Lacedaemon, son of Zeus and the Pleiad Taygete). Perieres ₁ ruled the country, and having married Gorgophone ₂, daughter of Perseus ₁ and Andromeda, had by her many sons, among which Aphareus ₁, who succeeded him on the throne. During the rule of Perieres ₁, a well known archer Melaneus ₅ came to him in Messenia, and received from the king the part of the country which was called Oechalia after Melaneus ₅'s wife.

Aphareus ₁

Aphareus ₁ inherited the throne of Messenia together with his brother Leucippus ₂, but as they say, the former had the pre-eminence. Aphareus ₁ married Arene, daughter of Oebalus ₁ and Gorgophone ₂ (the first woman to marry a second time), and after Arene a city was named.

Aphareus ₁ receives Neleus

Aphareus ₁ received in his house the exiled Neleus, who had been expelled from Iolcus by his twin brother King Pelias ₁, the same man who sent Jason and the ARGONAUTS to Colchis. Neleus settled in the coastal part of the territory, taking up his residence in Pylos, which some say was founded by him.

Religious teachings introduced

During this time, also Lycus ₇ came to Arene in Messenia when he was driven from Athens by his brother King Aegeus ₁, and taught the rites of the Great Goddesses to Aphareus ₁ and Arene. Aphareus ₁ and Arene had two sons: Idas ₂ and Lynceus ₁.

Lynceus ₁

Lynceus ₁, who is counted among the ARGONAUTS, and among the CALYDONIAN HUNTERS, is said to have excelled in sharpness of sight, for he could see things under ground or look through the trunk of an oak. Lynceus ₁ was still childless when he was killed by one of the DIOSCURI.

Idas ₂

His brother Idas ₂ married Marpessa ₁, whom Apollo loved. The girl chose Idas ₂ before Apollo because she feared that Apollo might desert her in her Old Age, and Idas ₂ carried her off in a winged chariot which Poseidon gave him. Marpessa ₁'s father Evenus ₂, not being able to catch Idas ₂ when the latter abducted his daughter, threw himself into the river Lycormas which was called Evenus after him. Cleopatra ₄, daughter of Idas ₂ and Marpessa ₁, married Meleager, and gave birth to a daughter Polydora ₃, who in turn married Protesilaus, the first of the Achaeans to fall dead in the Trojan War. It has been pointed out that all these women—Marpessa ₁, Cleopatra ₄ and Polydora ₃—committed suicide on the death of their husbands.

Killed by the DIOSCURI

Idas ₂ and his brother Lynceus ₁ were in constant war with the DIOSCURI, and eventually all of them died. One of the reasons of their conflict was the abduction by the DIOSCURI of their cousins Hilaira and Phoebe ₂ (both priestesses of Artemis and Athena respectively), daughters of Leucippus ₂, brother of Aphareus ₁ (see also DIOSCURI).

Neleids take over

With the death of these two brothers, the house of Aphareus ₁ died out and the throne passed to the house that had its residence at Pylos, that is, to Neleus and his sons. Neleus' daughter Pero ₂ was married to an Argive king, either Bias ₁ or his brother Melampus ₁.

Invasion of Heracles ₁

During this time, Heracles ₁, having attacked Elis, invaded Messenia before his expedition against Lacedaemon and Sparta. Most descendants of Neleus perished in this war except young Nestor, who was either being brought up in Gerenia, or taken refuge there. Periclymenus ₁, son of Neleus and one of the ARGONAUTS, had been granted by Poseidon the power of changing his shape, and fighting with Heracles ₁, he turned himself into a lion, a snake and a bee, but nevertheless got killed. It is also told that Heracles ₁ occupied Pylos, and that he entrusted the kingdom to Nestor; this is the reason why the HERACLIDES later claimed the land for themselves.

War with Elis

After this, Messenia was attacked by the Epeans (from Elis), but were utterly defeated by Nestor. At this time Neleus still lived; some say he died at Corinth of a disease whereas others affirm that he was killed by Heracles ₁, along with his ten or twelve sons (except Nestor).

Trojan War

At the time of the Trojan War, Nestor sailed from Messenia together with his son Thrasymedes ₁, with Thrasymedes ₂ (son of Neleus in spite of all said before about the massacre of the sons of Neleus ), and Antilochus, who is said to have been suckled by a bitch when he was a child. Antilochus, son of Nestor, died at Troy, killed either by Memnon (the eastern Ethiopian son of Eos), or by Hector ₁ (son of King Priam ₁ of Troy). Thrasymedes ₁ is among those who hid inside the WOODEN HORSE.

Nestor's last days

Nestor's death has not been reported, but he was still alive many years later, when Telemachus came to Pylos looking for his father Odysseus. Pisistratus ₁, son of Nestor, was the first to receive Telemachus on the sandy beach of Pylos. He also went with him to Menelaus' court, where Telemachus also inquired about his father.

Several kingdoms

Before the return of the HERACLIDES, there were several kings of Messenia, all of which were deposed during the invasion of the descendants of Heracles ₁. Melanthus ₁ (son of Andropompus ₁, son of Borus ₃, son of Penthilus ₂, son of Periclymenus ₁, son of Neleus), having been deposed, went to Athens, and took the kingdom from Thymoetes ₂, becoming king himself. Pisistratus ₂, son of Pisistratus ₁, son of Nestor was also deposed, and so was Alcmaeon ₂, son of Sillus, son of Thrasymedes ₁, son of Nestor.

The HERACLIDES

The Heraclid Cresphontes received the kingdom of Messenia through casting lots with Procles ₂ and Eurysthenes ₁, who received Sparta and Lacedaemon. As Cresphontes' government favoured he people, the rich made a revolt, killing him and all his sons except Aepytus ₂. Polyphontes ₃ seized power in Messenia after Cresphontes, and married the wife of the murdered ruler, Merope ₂, against her will. Merope ₂ was related to the Arcadian kings; she was daughter of Cypselus ₁, son of Aepytus ₄, son of Hippothous ₆, son of Cercyon ₂, son of Agamedes ₂, son of Stymphalus ₁, son of Elatus ₂, son of Arcas ₁, son of Zeus and Callisto.

End of legend

But Aepytus ₂, the son of Cresphontes and the only survivor of his house, in time returned, killed Polyphontes ₃, and became king of Messenia. After him the throne went from father to son. King Dotadas is said to have been the constructor of the harbour at Mothone in Messenia. Sybotas belongs rather to historical times. During the rule of Phintas, the Messenians came into conflict with the Lacedaemonians, and killed their king Teleclus.

Throne Succession Messenia

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