or Messene, an inland town, and the capital of Messenia, a country of Peloponnesus; erroneously placed by Ptolemy on the coast. It was built by Epaminondas, who recalled all the Messenian exiles, and gave the town the name of Messene. A place vying in point of strength and situation with Corinth, according to Strabo; and therefore Demetrius Phalereus advised Philip, father of Perleus, that if he wanted to have Peloponnesus in his power, he should make himself master of these two towns, as thus he would have the ox by both horns.