Geography

​Ephorus speaks thus concerning the founding: The Lacedaemonians were at war with the Messenians, who had killed King Teleclus when he came to Messene for a sacrifice, having sworn not to return home before they either destroyed Messene or all died. And on going out to war, they left the youngest and oldest of the citizens as guards of the city. In the tenth year of the war, the wives of the Lacedaemonians, having assembled on their own initiative, sent some of their number to their husbands to complain that they were not waging war against the Messenians on equal terms (for the latter, remaining at home, were procreating, whereas the Lacedaemonians, leaving their wives widows, were encamped in enemy territory), and there was danger that their fatherland would be left destitute of men. The husbands, both keeping their oath and taking the words of the women to heart, sent the strongest and at the same time youngest of the army, whom they knew had not taken part in the oaths because, being still children, they had gone out with those of military age; and they ordered them all to cohabit with all the virgins, thinking they would thus produce more children. When this was done, the children were named Partheniae. Messene was captured after being fought over for nineteen years, just as Tyrtaeus also says: “Around it they fought for nineteen years, unceasingly, ever keeping a stout-hearted spirit, the spear-bearing fathers of our fathers. But in the twentieth year, leaving their rich fields, they fled from the great mountains of Ithome.” Now they distributed the Messenian land among themselves; but when they returned home, they did not honor the Partheniae equally with the others, as not having been born from marriage. These, conspiring with the Helots, plotted against the Lacedaemonians and agreed to raise a Laconian cap in the agora as a signal when they should make the attack. But some of the Helots having betrayed the plot, the Lacedaemonians decided that to make a counter-attack would be difficult; for they were many, and all of one mind, since they regarded one another as brothers; so they ordered those who were about to raise the signal to depart from the agora. So they, perceiving that the plot had been disclosed, held back, but the Lacedaemonians, through the fathers, persuaded them to go out to a colony; and if they should occupy a sufficient territory, to remain there, but if not, to return and receive a fifth share of the Messenian land. Those who were sent out found the Achaeans at war with the barbarians, and having shared their dangers, they founded Taras.

​The Tarentines once possessed extraordinary power, governing themselves democratically; for they acquired the largest navy of those in this region, and could send out thirty thousand foot-soldiers, three thousand cavalry, and a thousand commanders of cavalry. They also accepted the Pythagorean philosophy, and especially Archytas, who also directed the affairs of the city for a long time. But afterwards luxury got the upper hand because of their prosperity, so that the public festivals celebrated among them each year were more numerous than the days; and because of this, they also governed themselves worse. One token of their bad government is their employment of foreign generals; for they sent for Alexander the Molossian against the Messapians and Lucanians, and even before that, Archidamus the son of Agesilaus, and afterwards Cleonymus and Agathocles, and then Pyrrhus, when they allied against the Romans. Nor were they able to be obedient even to those whom they called in, but rather brought themselves into enmity with them. Alexander, at any rate, tried to transfer the common festival of the Greeks in these parts, which was customarily celebrated at Heracleia in the territory of Tarentum, to the territory of Thurium because of his hatred, and ordered them to fortify a place near the river Acalandrus where the assemblies were to be held; and indeed, the misfortune which befell him is said to have come upon him because of their ingratitude. They also waged war against the Messapians for Heracleia, having as allies the king of the Daunii and the king of the Peucetii. And in the time of the Hannibalic War they were deprived of their freedom, but afterwards, having received a Roman colony, they live in peace and in a better state than before.