Eira (), also known as Hira or Ira (Ἰρά), and Hire or Ire (Ἱρὴ), was a fortified settlement on a mountain of the same name, in the north of

ancient Messenia Messenia () was an ancient district of the southwestern Peloponnese, more or less overlapping the modern Messenia region of Greece. To the north it had a border with Elis along the Neda river. From there the border with Arcadia ran along the to ...

, near the

Neda River The Neda () is a river in the western Peloponnese in Greece. It is long, and its drainage area is . It is unique in the sense that it is the only river in Greece with a feminine name. It took its name from the nymph Neda. Geography The river b ...

. During the

Second Messenian War The Second Messenian War was a war which occurred ca. 660–650 BC between the Ancient Greek states of Messenia and Sparta, with localized resistance possibly lasting until the end of the century.L. G. Pechatnova, ''A History of Sparta (Archaic ...

the Messenians fortified the place, and

Aristomenes Aristomenes () was a king of Messenia, celebrated for his struggle with the Spartans in the Second Messenian War (685–668 BC), and his resistance to them on Mount Eira for 11 years. At length the mountain fell to the enemy, while he escaped ...

defended it for ten years against the

Spartans Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the valley of Evrotas river in Laconia, in southeastern P ...

. Pausanias dates the capture of the city by the

Lacedaemonian Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the valley of Evrotas river in Laconia, in southeastern Pe ...

s to the first year of the 28th

Olympiad An olympiad (, ''Olympiás'') is a period of four years, particularly those associated with the Ancient Olympic Games, ancient and Olympic Games, modern Olympic Games. Although the ancient Olympics were established during Archaic Greece, Greece ...

(668 BCE). The Arcadians welcomed many Messenians who withdrew thither after the capture of Eira, while the captured Messenian prisoners were converted to

helots The helots (; , ''heílotes'') were a subjugated population that constituted a majority of the population of Laconia and Messenia – the territories ruled by Sparta. There has been controversy since antiquity as to their exact characteristic ...

by the Lacedaemonians, and the rest of Messenians who lived on the coast were exiled to Cyllene, in

Elis Elis also known as Ellis or Ilia (, ''Eleia'') is a historic region in the western part of the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece. It is administered as a regional unit of the modern region of Western Greece. Its capital is Pyrgos. Until 2011 it ...

. Pausanias adds that 297 years after the capture of Eira, in the third year of the 102nd Olympiad (370 BCE), the Messenians regained their territory. Pausanias mentions the possibility that the city of Abia anciently had the name of ''Ιρή'' (

Ire Ire or IRE may refer to: Ire * Extreme anger; intense fury * Irē, the Livonian name for Mazirbe, Latvia * A town in Oye, Nigeria * ''Ire'' (album), a 2015 album by the Australian metalcore band Parkway Drive * Ire (Iliad), a town mentioned in ...

), the city cited by

Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...

, but seems to distinguish this ''Ιρή'' from the Eira of he recounts in the Second Messian War. Its site is located near the modern

Kakaletri Kakaletri () is a village in the municipality of Oichalia, Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. The name is related to the Greek family name "Kakaletris", which is often met in places around the village, including Pyrgos (Elis), Kalamata (Messenia) an ...

, between it and Stasimo. On Mount Tetrazi, located near

Andania Andania () is a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been a municipal unit of the municipality of Oichalia. The municipal unit has an area of 88.694 km2. Population 1,820 (202 ...

and the Neda River, there are remains that some have identified with Eira.

References

Populated places in ancient Messenia Former populated places in Greece {{AncientMessenia-geo-stub