Messenia, Greek Mythology Link.
First ruler conquers the country.
Lelex 2, said to be an Egyptian immigrant, was king of Laconia. Polycaon 1 married the ambitious woman Messene, daughter of King Triopas 1 of Argos , and after her the whole territory was named. At the death of Lelex 2, his son Myles inherited the throne in Lacedaemon, and Messene, not being satisfied with being the wife of an anonymous person, collected an armed force from both Argos and Lacedaemon, and the new married couple invaded with an army the territory of Messenia, and named it after the daughter of the Argive king. Having thus established the new kingdom, they founded a city Andania and there they built their palace. It is during the reign of Polycaon 1 that Caucon 2 brought the rites of the Great Goddesses from Eleusis to Messenia.