s into the town.

The Messenians, hoping to keep this place of refuge, kept a sharp
lookout, and, whenever the Spartans made any attempt to climb the rocks,
they rolled great blocks of stone down upon them.

All went well as long as the food lasted, but the time came when the
Messenians in Ithome had nothing to eat. Some of their bravest men tried
to go down into the valley in search of provisions; but, as they were
attacked by the Spartans, they could not bring the hungry people much to
eat.

When Aristodemus saw that the people would all die of hunger unless some
way were found to get food, he consulted an oracle, in order to find out
what it was best for him to do. The oracle answered that a battle should
be fought, and promised the victory to the king who offered his daughter
in sacrifice to the gods.

When Aristodemus heard this answer, he shuddered with fear; for,
although he knew that his ancestors had offered up human victims on
their altars, he loved his only daughter too well to give her up.

For some time longer, therefore, he resisted every attack, and tried to
think of some other way to save his people. At last, however, seeing
that they would all die unless something were done, he sacrificed the
child he loved so well.

The Messenians were touched by his generosity, and by his readiness to
do all in his power to save them. They felt sure that the gods would now
give them the victory, and rushed out of the town and into the Spartan
camp. Their attack was so sudden, and they fought with such fury, that
they soon killed three hundred Spartans and one of their kings.

This battle did not, as they had hoped, end the war, which went on for
several years. At last Aristodemus, despairing of victory, went to his
beloved daughter's tomb, and there killed himself.

When he was dead, the city of Ithome fell into the hands of the
Spartans. They treated the conquered Messenians with great cruelty, made
them all slaves, and were as unkind to them as they had been to the
Helots.

XXVII. THE MUSIC OF TYRTAEUS.

After suffering great tortures under the Spartan yoke for forty long
years, the Messenians began to plan a revolt.

One of their princes, Ar-is-tom'e-nes, a man of unusual bravery, made up
his mind to free the unhappy people, and to ruin the proud city of
Sparta, which had caused them so much suffering.

He therefore secretly assembled all the Messenians, and, when his plans
were ready, began