Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • An ancient Greek city in the southwest Peloponnesus. It was founded c. 369 BC under Theban auspices as a new capital for the region of Messenia.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun An ancient Greek city in the southwest Peloponnesus and new capital of the region of Messenia

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Ancient Greek Μεσσήνη.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word Messene.

Examples

  • Ithome, a new capital which they called Messene (370 B.C.).

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 10: Mass Music-Newman 1840-1916 1913

  • Though you were our ally you seized by force a city in alliance with us, namely Messene, which had been admitted to our friendship and enjoyed precisely the same privileges as Lacedaemon.

    The History of Rome, Vol. V 1905

  • Nothing is known about his background or his education, except that he is traditionally taken to have been a student of Aristocles of Messene, though that name may be due to some misunderstanding and his teacher might have been Aristoteles of Mytilene.

    Alexander of Aphrodisias Frede, Dorothea 2009

  • “As for ourselves,” they said, “we will go on fighting and accept whatever Heaven has in store for us,” — adding, “never will we submit to be deprived of our territory of Messene, which we received as an heirloom from our fathers.”

    Hellenica 2007

  • Until we arrive at them, we perceive only a few torches to lighten the darkness, such as the era of Nabonassar, the war between Lacedæmon and Messene; even those epochs themselves are subjects of dispute.

    A Philosophical Dictionary 2007

  • And, first, we will ask you to consider with us, how and in what respect the kings of Argos and Messene violated these our maxims, and ruined themselves and the great and famous Hellenic power of the olden time.

    Laws 2006

  • Let us place ourselves in thought at the moment when Lacedaemon and Argos and Messene and the rest of the

    Laws 2006

  • Persian war, or have imagined that a war with Messene prevented the

    Laws 2006

  • Now this Cadmos before these events, having received from his father in a prosperous state the government1142 of the people of Cos, had voluntarily and with no danger threatening, but moved merely by uprightness of nature, placed the government in the hands of the people of Cos1143 and had departed to Sicily, where he took from1144 the Samians and newly colonised the city of Zancle, which had changed its name to Messene.

    The History of Herodotus Herodotus 2003

  • Thuc.vi. 4 that the Samians were deprived of the town soon after they had taken it, by Anaxilaos, who gave it the name of Messene, and no doubt put Cadmos in possession of it, as the son of the former king.

    The History of Herodotus Herodotus 2003

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.