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The Messapians or Messapii were an Indo-European people that inhabited, in historical times, the south-eastern peninsula or "heel" of Italy (Salento, modern Apulia), known variously in ancient times as Calabria, Messapia and Iapygia. Their chief towns were Uzentum (modern Ugento), Rudiae (modern Lecce), Brundisium (modern Brindisi) and Hyria. They spoke the Messapian language. They are often referred to as "the most southerly of the Iapygian tribes". Julius Pokorny derives their ethnonym ''Messapii'' from ''Messapia'', interpreted as "(the place) Amid waters", ''Mess-'' from Proto-Indo-European '' *medhyo-'', "middle", and ''-apia'' from Proto-Indo-European '' *ap-'', "water" (cf. another toponym, ''Salapia'', "salt water"). ==History== The true origin of the Messapii is debated. The most credited theory is that they came from Illyria as one of the Illyrian tribes who settled in modern Apulia.〔Kathryn Lomas, "Cities, states and ethnic identity in southeast Italy" E. Herring and K. Lomas (eds), The Emergences of State Identities in Italy in the First Millennium BC (London, 2000).〕〔Talbert, Richard J. A. Atlas of Classical History. Routledge, 1985, ISBN 0-415-03463-9, p. 85. "...from Illyrians, known as Iapyges, who settled first in the heel of Italy and then spread north..."〕 After Hyria (founded probably in the 8th century BC) they founded other towns, which, at a much later time, the Tarentines attempted to take. The Iapygians repulsed the Tarentine Greeks however and inflicted a serious defeat on them in 473 BC,〔Herod. 7. 170〕 thanks to their superior cavalry. The Messapic cities were independent from each other, and had trade relationships with communities of Magna Graecia. A corps of Messapic archers fought with the Athenians in a war against Syracuse. The Messapians were later conquered by the Romans and absorbed into the Latin-speaking and Greek-speaking populace. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Messapii」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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