Messenia (ancient region)

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (March 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Messinia Μεσσηνία
Region of Ancient Greece
Burial chamber, Pylos
Map of ancient Messenia
Location	Peloponesse
Major cities	Messene
Dialects	Doric

Messenia or Messinia (Greek: Μεσσηνία) 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 tops of Mount Elaeum and Mount Nomia and then through foothills of Taygetus. The eastern border with Laconia went along the Taygetus ridge up to the Koskaraka river, and then along that river to the sea, near the city of Abia.

Ancient Messenia descended continuously without change of name and with little change of territory to the modern Regional Unit of Greece of the same name.