ARISTOMENES of Andania, the semi-legendary hero of the second Messenian war. He was a member of the Aepytid family, the son of Nicomedes (or, according to another version, of Pyrrhus) and Nicoteleia, and took a prominent part in stirring up the revolt against Sparta and securing the co-operation of Argos and Arcadia. Under his leadership the Messenians won a victory at "the Boar's Barrow," but in the following year were defeated and had to retire to the mountain stronghold of Eira. When this was betrayed to the Spartans (668 B.C. according to Pausanias) Aristomenes took refuge in Arcadia. Thence he went to Rhodes, where he died. Though there seems to be no conclusive reason for doubting the existence of Aristomenes, his history, as related by Pausanias, following mainly the Messeniaca of the Cretan epic poet Rhianus (about 23o B.C.), is evidently largely interwoven with fictions. These probably arose after the foundation of Mes sene in 369 B.C. Aristomenes' statue was set up in the stadium there : his bones were fetched from Rhodes and placed in a tomb surmounted by a column (Paus. iv. 32. 3, 6) ; and more than five centuries later we still find heroic honours paid to him, and his exploits a popular subject of song (ibid. iv. 14, 7; 16, 6) .