Founded 369 BC
Ancient Messene: The City Founded After Leuctra
After Thebes defeated Sparta at Leuctra in 371 BC, the Theban general Epaminondas founded Messene on the slopes of Mount Ithome in…
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Messenia
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1206/1209–1500
Methoni and Koroni: The Eyes of Venice
After the Fourth Crusade, Venice took Methoni and Koroni at the south-western tip of the Peloponnese and held them for almost three…
Read story →c. 1788–1825
Papaflessas and the Battle of Maniaki
Grigorios Dikaios, known as Papaflessas, was a priest, member of the Filiki Eteria and energetic organizer of revolt. In 1825 he confronted…
Read story →20 October 1827
The Battle of Navarino
The naval battle of Navarino took place inside a sheltered bay in the southwest Peloponnese. The allied victory removed the naval power…
Read story →Archaic and Classical periods
The Helots and the Spartan State
Helots were an unfree population tied to territories controlled by Sparta, especially Laconia and Messenia. Their agricultural labour supported the citizen system…
Read story →23 March 1821
The Liberation of Kalamata
On 23 March 1821, Maniot and other Peloponnesian forces entered Kalamata. The event became one of the earliest major successes of the…
Read story →Medieval and early modern periods
The Maniots and Their Towers
The Mani Peninsula in the southern Peloponnese was difficult for outside powers to control. Local clans built tower houses, maintained armed traditions…
Read story →c. 1300–1200 BC
The Palace of Nestor at Pylos
The Palace of Nestor at Ano Englianos in Messenia is one of the best-preserved Mycenaean palatial complexes. Its rooms, painted floors, storage…
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