of portents and prodigies. Thus an old blind
prophet suddenly recovered his sight,--which the Messenians looked upon
to mean something, though it is not clear what. A statue of Artemis (or
Diana) let fall its brazen shield; which meant something more,--probably
that the fastenings had given way; but the ancients looked on it as a
portent. Then the ghost of his murdered daughter appeared to
Aristodemus, pointed to her wounded side, stripped off his armor, placed
on his head a crown of gold and on his body a white robe,--a sign of
death. So, as it seemed evident that he had mistaken the oracle, and
killed his daughter without saving his country, he did the only thing
that remained for him: he went to her grave and killed himself. And with
this tragedy ends all we need to tell about the first champion of
Messenia.

The war ended in the conquest of Messenia by the Spartans. The conquered
people were very harshly treated by the conquerors, being forced to pay
as tribute half the produce of their fields, and to humble themselves
before their haughty masters. As a result, about fifty years afterwards,
they broke out into rebellion, and a second Messenian war began.

This war lasted for many years, the Messenians being led by a valiant
hero named Aristomenes, who performed startling exploits and made
marvellous escapes. Three great battles took place, with various results
and three times Aristomenes made a remarkable sacrifice to the king of
the gods. This was called the Hekatomphonia, and could only be offered
by one who had slain, with his own hands, one hundred enemies in battle.

But great battles were not all. There were years of guerilla warfare.
At the head of a band of brave followers Aristomenes made his way more
than once to the very heart of Laconia, surprised two of its cities, and
on one occasion ventured into Sparta itself by night. Here he boldly
entered the temple of Athene of the Brazen House and hung up his shield
there as a mark of defiance to his enemies, placing on it an inscription
which said that Aristomenes presented it as an offering from Spartan
spoil.

The Messenian maidens crowned their hero with garlands, and danced
around him, singing a war strain in honor of his victories over his
foes. Yet he found the Spartans vigorous and persistent enemies, and in
spite of all his victories was forced at length to take refuge in the
mountain fastnesses, where he held out against his foes for eleven
years.