Myron of Priene was the author of an historical account of the First Messenian War, from the taking of Ampheia to the death of Aristodemus. The dates of his work cannot be ascertained accurately, but it belongs in all probability to the Alexandrine period, not earlier than the 3rd century BC. According to Pausanias, he was an author on whose accuracy very little reliance could be placed. For example, both Diodorus and Myron placed Aristomenes in the first Messenian War, which is not universally accepted as accurate.
Most important to Myron seems to be Pausanias IV 6,1 - 6,4. Pausanias wished to reach a decision regarding the age of a certain Messenian War (IV 6,1). Myron narrated the capture of Ampheia and subsequent events down to the death of Aristodemus. At the opinion of Pausanias, Rhianus of Bene from Crete did not touch this first war at all (IV 6,2). To Rhianus in his epic Aristomenes is the hero and he is to him a great men as is the Achilles of the Iliad to Homer (IV 6,3). The Aristodemus of Myron is a bit earlier than the Aristomenes of Rhianus. Myrons history of the Messenian war is in prosa, Rhianus has made an epic. In order to date the Messenian war, Herodot VI, 52 and IV, 147 is helpful, IX 26 - 27 also.
Ancient sources:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Smith, William, ed. (1870). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology .{{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
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The Heracleidae or Heraclids were the numerous descendants of Heracles (Hercules), especially applied in a narrower sense to the descendants of Hyllus, the eldest of his four sons by Deianira. Other Heracleidae included Macaria, Lamos, Manto, Bianor, Tlepolemus, and Telephus. These Heraclids were a group of Dorian kings who conquered the Peloponnesian kingdoms of Mycenae, Sparta and Argos; according to the literary tradition in Greek mythology, they claimed a right to rule through their ancestor. Since Karl Otfried Müller's Die Dorier, I. ch. 3, their rise to dominance has been associated with a "Dorian invasion". Though details of genealogy differ from one ancient author to another, the cultural significance of the mythic theme, that the descendants of Heracles, exiled after his death, returned some generations later to reclaim land that their ancestors had held in Mycenaean Greece, was to assert the primal legitimacy of a traditional ruling clan that traced its origin, thus its legitimacy, to Heracles
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The First Messenian War was a war between Messenia and Sparta. It began in 743 BC and ended in 724 BC, according to the dates given by Pausanias.
Caryae or Karyai was a town of ancient Laconia upon the frontiers of Arcadia. It was originally an Arcadian town belonging to Tegea, but was conquered by the Spartans and annexed to their territory. Caryae revolted from Sparta after the Battle of Leuctra (371 BCE), and offered to guide a Theban army into Laconia; but shortly afterwards it was severely punished for its treachery, for Archidamus III took the town and put to death all the inhabitants who were made prisoners.
In Greek mythology, Autesion, was a king of Thebes. He was the son of Tisamenus, the grandson of Thersander and Demonassa and the great-grandson of Polynices and Argea.
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