62 ‘ HISTORICAL TALES,

denly 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 Aris-
todemus, 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 re-
sult, 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 vari-
ous results, and three times Aristomenes made a re-
markable 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,