What the records say
- When
- 682 BCE
- Kind
- Battle
- Coordinates
- 37.40° N, 22.30° E
- Description
- ancient defeat of Messenia by Sparta
Placed at the area, not an exact site.
Battle of the Great Foss
Ancient defeat of Messenia by Sparta
The Battle of the Great Foss occurred in 682 BC during the Second Messenian War. The word "foss" derives from the Latin fossa, meaning "ditch" or "trench." According to Pausanias the outcome of the battle was determined by trickery. The Spartans bribed Aristocrates of Orchomenus, the king of the Arcadians, to withdraw his men just as the battle was beginning. This resulted in the slaughter of the Messenians.
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