Agamemnon
Ilias Book 9 line 137-141 Barry B Powell
Ilias Book 9 line 141-146 Barry B Powell
Ilias Book 9 line 141-146 Barry B Powell
Modern Messinia
Well, it's already quite desperate, but it's not all!
Around Troy a conflict flares up between Achilles and Agamemnon. Achilles refuses to fight Troy, but he's badly needed as the allies are under attack and on the losing end. Agamemnon, who's getting desperate, makes Achilles an offer:
I have three daughters in my well-buit hall, Chrysothemis and Laodike and Iphianassa. Of these he may take as wife whichever he wants -no bride-price necessary!- and lead her to the house of Peleus.
I will give her a dowry, too, so much as no man ever gave: seven towns densely populated, Kardamyle, Enope, and grassy Hire, and holy Pherai, and Antheia rich in meadows, and beautiful Aipeia and vin-girt Pedasos, all of them close by the see on the edge of sandy Pylos.
The first town or area, that distinction's never clear in Homer's writing, I know well. It's a nice place to go on holiday, which I did once before. I went back there in 2019, to try and find the seven cities Agamemnon mentions.
Kardamyle is now called Kardamyli and can be found in area #2. It's located by a gorge which forms a natural border between Kardamyli and Enope. Grassy Hire is there as well.
The first three cities should be in the same area since holy Pherai is #1. Pherai is the old name of the capital of Messinia: Kalamata.
The river Alpheios splits #4 into an Eastern and Western part, and while it's now called after a town in its North-East, back then its biggest town was what is now called Thouria, where excavations have brought to light the ancient city of Antheia. A modern village closeby bears the same name, Antheia, and there are meadows everywhere.
Aipeia can be found in area #3. The name is still used for a municipality in the Southern part of it. Another holiday destination years ago!
This brings us to #5, Pedasos. There are vinyards in a small town close to modern Pylos called Pidasos, which would strongly suggest that modern Pylos wasn't part of Nestor's Pylos at all!
The first three cities should be in the same area since holy Pherai is #1. Pherai is the old name of the capital of Messinia: Kalamata.
The river Alpheios splits #4 into an Eastern and Western part, and while it's now called after a town in its North-East, back then its biggest town was what is now called Thouria, where excavations have brought to light the ancient city of Antheia. A modern village closeby bears the same name, Antheia, and there are meadows everywhere.
Aipeia can be found in area #3. The name is still used for a municipality in the Southern part of it. Another holiday destination years ago!
This brings us to #5, Pedasos. There are vinyards in a small town close to modern Pylos called Pidasos, which would strongly suggest that modern Pylos wasn't part of Nestor's Pylos at all!
Wrong Pylos
Wrong palace