The battle

The Battle of the Great Foss occurred in 682 BC during the Second Messenian War

Second Messenian War

The Second Messenian War was a war between the Ancient Greek states of Messenia and Sparta. It started around 40 years after the end of the First Messenian War with the uprising of a slave rebellion. This war lasted from 685 to 668.-Prelude:...

(685 BC - 668 BC). The word 'foss' indicates a trench. According to ancient historian Pausanias the outcome of the battle was determined by trickery. The Spartans bribed Aristocrates, the king of the Arcadians, to withdraw his men just as the battle was beginning. This resulted in the slaughter of the Messenians.

Sources

• Montagu, John Drogo. Battles of the Greek and Roman Worlds: A Chronological Compendium of 667 Battles to 318BC. Mechanicsburg, PA: Greenhill Books, 2000.